What If?
by DisasterMaster445
Summary: Lack of a better title. That 'What If' is, "What if Sasuke never left the Leaf Village?" I know this has been done before, but hopefully not in the way I plan to do it. So, this will be AU, and probably a little OOC.
1. Changin' It Up

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**I have a great need to write a Naruto fic. I love Naruto, and I had one on before, but it was horrible. I had just started writing for the site then. I deleted it from the site and from my computer, because I couldn't stand looking at it. So, now that I'm more accomplished as a writer, I've decided to write a better one. The title is What If, and that What If is, "What if Sasuke never left the Leaf Village?" I know this has been done before, but hopefully not in the way **_**I**_** plan to do it. So, this will be AU, and probably a little OOC.**

**Chapter One: What If?**

Naruto walked into Sasuke's room at the hospital. Tsunade had said that he should be waking up soon, and the orange-clad ninja wanted to be there when he did. Sakura was already there, and it seemed like there was a problem. Sasuke was standing with his Sharingan spinning wildly. He caught sight of his blond friend.

"Fight me!" He said. Naruto was reasonably shocked. "You just woke up Sasuke. You probably shouldn't do any fighting yet." Sasuke wouldn't take no for an answer. So with Sakura's pleas falling on deaf ears, Sasuke and Naruto made their way to the roof.

* * *

><p>Kakashi had just left after giving his story to his wayward pupil, leaving Sasuke tied to the tree. He thought carefully about what he should do next, but he was drawing a blank. It was then that he noticed the four dark chakra signatures keeping watch over him. Kakashi had left him a kunai for when he was ready to get out of his bonds. He sliced the wires away, and went to the only place he could think of. Naruto's house.<p>

He could feel his pursuers close on his trail, but he sensed he wasn't in danger yet. He landed on the orange ninja's roof, and swung in through an open window. The blond boy was asleep.

"Naruto. Wake up." Sasuke shook him on the shoulder. He mumbled something about protecting him from Sakura. Sasuke shook him again, rousing him this time. He stared blearily at his best friend.

"Sasuke? What's up?" Naruto asked. Sasuke muttered a quick apology, and then stated the problem in hushed tones.

"You're being followed?" Naruto asked, for once feeling the need for subtlety. Sasuke nodded. "What did you come here for? Why not go to Kakashi-Sensei, or Granny Tsunade?"

"Think for a minute. If I'd gone to them, the enemy would've attacked. Here, we can fight them. If we draw enough attention, we'll draw help." Sasuke explained. Naruto rubbed his chin.

"What should we do?" He asked. "Let's start a fight." Sasuke suggested. His Sharingan was spinning again.

* * *

><p>Sakon stood on top of the building Sasuke had went into. He was getting restless. He turned to his teammates.<p>

"That's enough waiting. Let's go." He was about to jump down to the balcony, when five Naruto's leapt up, taking him by surprise. He was knocked back.

"You're not getting near Sasuke!" They yelled in unison. They paired off till one was by itself. The ones that were paired off formed the Rasengan, and the two that helped form them got together and made another one. The last Naruto made a few seals and his left arm erupted in lightning.

"Let's go!" The Naruto's cried. They each picked a target and jumped in. The Naruto that was really Sasuke charged Sakon with the Chidori. Sakon moved just out of the way, but was unprepared for the kick that sent him into the air. Sasuke appeared behind him. The Leaf-nin began his attack, ending with the last kick and a call of: "Lion's Barrage!"

A hand shot out of Sakon's chest, catching his foot at the last second. The hand threw Sasuke over into one of the Naruto's making it disappear in a cloud of smoke. Each Naruto clone, seeing how the Rasengan wouldn't do a whole lot right now, had used the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and there were about a hundred Naruto's running around the roof.

A group of five Naruto's charged one of Tayuya's zombie/familiar/ogre things. One knocked it back, and three of them kicked it into the air. "Na!" "Ru!" "To!" The last one came from the sky. "Uzumaki Barrage!" The ogre hit the ground and disappeared.

"That was pretty good for a moron like you." The redhead somewhat complimented. She played a melody on her flute, and the Naruto clones all exploded. The noise drew people from their homes, and several Jonin leapt to the roof to discover the fighting.

"Damn! It's the Leaf Ninja! Retreat!" Sakon cried. The other three vanished from the roof. "This isn't over." Sakon promised.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke were in the Hokage's office. She was dispatching them to go after the Sound Four, and either bring them back or eliminate them. They were told to get whatever Genin they could find and begin the pursuit. When they protested, Tsunade told them the Chunin and Jonin were all taking in large missions to receive money for the village.<p>

* * *

><p>At the village gates five Genin lined up. First was Naruto and Sasuke. Then Shino Aburame, Neji Hyuga, and a recently healed Rock Lee. The spandex-wearing ninja was as 'youthful' as ever, even if he moved with the slightest of limps.<p>

"This will be a wonderful test of the limits of my surgery!" Lee exclaimed. His teammate shook his head.

"Lee. You must take it easy. You've just healed, and Guy-Sensei wouldn't want you to overdo it." Neji pointed out. Lee nodded, a little crestfallen. Shino looked on silently.

"All right, let's go!" Naruto cried. The five of them raced out of the gates and into the forest.

* * *

><p>"That was bull-shit!" Tayuya cried. The four Sound-nin were leaping from tree to tree at top speed. Jirobo stared at her.<p>

"That's not very ladylike. You should watch your language." He scolded. "Shut up fatass!" The redhead returned.

"Both of you shut up!" Sakon yelled. "Now, prepare to make camp. Set up the traps." The others looked at him incredulously.

"Are you sure Sakon? Those Leaf-nin could be on our trail." Kidomaru noted. "Doesn't matter. We're more than powerful enough to get rid of them anyway. Lord Orochimaru said their Jonin would be too busy rebuilding and taking missions."

* * *

><p>"I told you Sakon." Kidomaru said. The Leaf ninja had caught up. "Shut up Kidomaru. Jirobo, what are you waiting for?"<p>

Jirobo slammed his palms against the ground with a cry of "Earth Style Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!" The ground shattered under the impact and crashed over the team from Konoha. It left them in a dome of earth, and they could already feel the drain on their powers.

"Damn it!" Naruto cried. He made his familiar cross seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The clone poofed into existence and worked up his chakra. The real Naruto ran toward the wall in the front, where Jirobo stood.

"_Rasengan!_" The spiraling sphere made a gigantic dent in the wall that closed up almost instantly. "What?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Wait a minute," Neji began. "_Byakugan!_" Veins leapt out around his eyes, and he gained laser focus. He glared around at the wall.

"This entire barrier is laced with the enemy's chakra. However, the chakra flows in a circle. Behind us is the weakest point in the wall. We must hit it there."

"I might have enough chakra to use another Rasengan." Naruto said. Shino shook his head. His Kikai bugs swarmed from his jacket sleeves. They burrowed into the wall behind them at the point Neji indicated. After a minute the bugs returned to their home inside the bug-user's body. Shino knocked on the rock like a door, and the back wall crumbled away.

* * *

><p>"They got through your dome Fatass!" Tayuya cursed. Jirobo glared at her. "You three keep going ahead. I'll hold them off and catch up when I'm done eating."<p>

"Then we may as well tell Lord Orochimaru you've decided to stay in the fuckin' Leaf Village!" Tayuya yelled as the three other Sound ninja took to the trees. Jirobo turned back to them.

"Now then-" He was thrown off his feet by a bandage covered fist. Lee looked back at his teammates.

"You must keep following the Sound ninja! I will defeat this one!" The bushy-brow promised with a salute.

"Are you sure?" Shino asked quietly. "YOSH!" Lee exclaimed. The other four Leaf ninja leapt forward into the trees.

"You shouldn't have done that you piece of trash." Jirobo told Lee. "I'm Jirobo of the South Gate. Strongest member of the Sound Four!"

"I am Rock Lee. The Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village!" Lee called back. He ran forward to punch Jirobo again. The large Sound-nin stomped the ground and rocks flew up, covering his body like armor. Lee leapt back.

"That is a most useful skill. I will have to see if I can get through it!" Lee ran forward and ducked down. "_Leaf Whirlwind!_" He spun quickly, throwing a leg out. Jirobo was thrown into the air and crash landed in a small crater in the ground. When Jirobo got back to his feet he had lost his rocky covering.

"That was unexpected. But try surprising me now!" Lee moved in again but Jirobo was ready. He slid to the side, quicker than his size belied.

"_Crushing Palm!_" He yelled, thrusting a palm into Lee's midsection. Lee was thrown across the clearing. The Leaf-nin stood up shakily. "Your Taijutsu is powerful. You are a very worthy opponent." Lee declared.

"What's your problem anyway you piece of trash? I'd swear you were gay." Jirobo taunted. "You are wrong sir. I like the females. I model myself after Guy-Sensei!" Lee saluted like his sensei stood beside him.

"Did you say 'Guy-Sensei' or '_Gay_-Sensei'?" Jirobo laughed. He didn't laugh long. Before he could open his eyes he was knocked into the forest, coming to a stop only after a tree or two fell on top of him. He stood back up. The large Sound-nin couldn't see his opponent, only multiple craters. He moved back into the clearing carefully. In the craters were what looked like training weights.

"You do _not_ insult Guy-Sensei!" Lee yelled. He dropped from the sky and brought both legs down in a kick. However, in his overzealousness he misjudged the distance and flew right past him, into one of his own craters. Jirobo laughed at his good fortune.

"_Pressure Palm!_" He slammed his palm into Lee's chest as he laid in the crater. He was pushed down further by the incredible force, making the crater deeper. He was out of the crater in an instant.

"_Leaf Hurricane!_" Lee kicked high, giving Jirobo the opportunity to duck, only for the second kick to catch him in the face, knocking him clear out of sight. When he reappeared, marks spread across his body, turning it red. His hair thickened and spread.

"_Thrusting Shoulder!_" Jirobo launched himself across the clearing and jammed his shoulder into Lee's ribcage. Lee flew backward and hit a tree. He got up, feeling the strain on his body.

"Excuse me. I have recently had surgery. I must take my medicine." Lee said pulling a bottle from his weapons pack. What he didn't notice was the kanji on the bottle that said 'Sake.' Jirobo tried to take advantage of the momentary distraction and tried to close the gap between the two of them, but Lee had already taken his first sip.

Lee brought up his arm and blocked Jirobo's attack, seemingly at random. Jirobo moved back a little, on guard. Lee just kept swaying a little. Jirobo figured it was safe to attack again.

"_Crushing Palm!_" Lee brought the other arm up and blocked again. He stared blearily at the Sound-nin. "What are you doing?" He slurred. "You should not try to fight me Red-Man. I am-" He slumped to the ground asleep.

"_Pressure Palm!_" Jirobo tried slamming his palm down, but Lee few to his feet out of the way. "-The Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village! Hic!" The green ninja finished with a flourish. He began swaying again, and disappeared from view. Before Jirobo could look for his opponent he was struck several times in the chest by the 'Handsome Devil.' Then Lee flipped onto his hands and did seven of eight super-fast kicks to Jirobo's head. Luckily he was able to guard with his arms.

"That's enough!" Jirobo growled. "Earth Style: _Sphere of Graves!_" He jammed his hands into the ground and pulled up a giant boulder. He launched it in Lee's general direction. It's unknown to this author whether Jirobo thought he could hit Lee or not, but he didn't. However when the boulder hit, it broke into hundreds of pieces. More than one piece hit Lee scratching him up a little, and one breaking his nose. At the sight of his blood, Lee sobered up quickly.

"Huh? What is going on?" "_Crushing Palm!_" Jirobo grabbed Lee by the face with his palm and slammed him into the ground. Next he tossed him into the air. "_Upwards Attacking Palm!_" The attack sent Lee flying into the air. When he came back down, Jirobo was ready with his next attack. "_Rising Knee!_" Lee could swear he felt a few ribs break.

"You're just another piece of trash. Can't you use Ninjutsu? If you can't, you'll never beat me." The Sound-nin taunted. "I will be a splendid ninja by using only my Taijutsu. That is my dream." Lee groaned. "Your Taijutsu is weak. Your dream is worthless. Just like you." Jirobo laughed.

"I will not allow you to insult my Ninja Way!" Lee yelled. He crossed his arms over his chest. "The First Gate: Gate of Opening! _Open!_" Dirt swirled around him. He flashed under Jirobo and kicked him in the jaw, sending him skyward. Lee used the Dancing Leaf Shadow technique to appear behind the large Sound-nin. His bandages wrapped around Jirobo and Lee began to spin.

"Primary Lotus!" Lee drilled Jirobo into the ground and landed nearby, panting heavily. Jirobo stood back up shakily. "I told you. You'll have to better than that. Did your precious 'Gay-Sensei' teach you that?" He taunted.

"Jirobo of the South Gate! Mocking my Way of the Ninja is bad enough, but insulting Guy-Sensei is crossing the line!" He crossed his arms again. "The Second Gate: The Gate of Rest! _Open!_" Lee stiffened as he felt his power return to full. "The Third Gate: The Gate of Life! _Open!_" The dust swirling around him whipped like a hurricane as his skin turned a raw red. A perfect cylinder of green energy appeared around him, shooting his hair up to stand on end. His pupils disappeared. "The Fourth Gate: The Gate of Pain! _Open!_" His muscles rippled and Lee staggered. But he continued. "The Fifth Gate: The Gate of Closing! _Open!_"

"_Now it is over!_" Lee declared. "_Hidden Lotus!_" He knocked Jirobo into the air again. He followed, hitting the Sound-nin in every direction. He moved like a blur, and hit Jirobo toward the ground. His bandages whirled around the large ninja. Lee pulled back hard, drawing Jirobo back toward him at high speed. Lee hit him with a solid strike with his right arm and his left leg. Jirobo hit the ground at a speed that would've killed him if not for his Curse Mark. Luckily, for good measure, Lee dropped into another attack.

"_Dynamic Entry!_" The powered up Leaf-nin crashed into Jirobo with both feet. His ribcage fell in on itself, crushing his heart. The red receded from both ninja. Jirobo's faded into his Level One Seal, and then retracted into his seal. Lee's red disappeared, his pupils returned, and his muscles quivered. He hit the ground.

* * *

><p>"Lee has defeated that Sound ninja." Neji told the others. "How do you know?" Sasuke asked. "I know his chakra better than anyone except Guy-Sensei. He was forced to use his Hidden Lotus." The others, except Sasuke of course, were shocked. "You mean the attack he used on Gaara in the Chunin Exams?" Neji nodded. "Now, we must be careful. We've caught up to the other Sound ninja."<p>

* * *

><p>"So, your friends escaped. Lucky them. I'll make quick work of you Aburame-brat." Kidomaru promised. Shino stood silently. Kidomaru bristled. "I'm tired of hearing about the Aburame clan, and their uppity natures. You're going down you little bastard."<p>

"We shall see." Shino said. Kidomaru made a hand seal. "Ninja Art: Spider Web Flower!" He shot several nets of webbing out of his mouth at Shino. The bug-user stood still, getting trapped by all of them. He was attached to the tree behind him.

"I did this to prove a point Sound-nin." Shino said quietly. His skin rippled, turning into a mountain of bugs. These bugs ate all the chakra in the webs, and then ate the webs.

"_A Bug Clone!_" Kidomaru thought. The real Shino leapt down from the tree his clone was trapped against.

"I can see you just might be fun to toy with. I'm not just any Sound-nin. I'm Kidomaru of the East Gate!" The spider-nin declared. "Very well Kidomaru of the East Gate. I am Shino Aburame of Konoha." Shino returned confidently.

"Be smug with me, huh you bastard? Ninja Art: Spiral Spider Web!" Kidomaru formed a ball of webbing in his mouth. He grabbed hold with all six arms and threw the web, making it spread out wide. As close as they were, Shino could make no move. He was captured.

"You from the Sound don't learn do you?" Shino's bugs crawled out of his jacket, and ate away at the webs. "I think I'll finish this up quickly." He added. His bugs swarmed away from him, swirling around Kidomaru.

"Hidden Jutsu: Beetle Sphere!" The dome of insects suddenly contracted, forming a body-tight layer of bugs that would eat at Kidomaru's chakra till he perished. When the bugs lifted off him to drop Kidomaru's body, Kidomaru drooped to the ground unscathed, covered in some kind of gold armor.

"This is my Sticky Spider Thread Armor. I excrete it from my sweat glands, and it hardens with contact to oxygen. That was a decent attempt, but you'll find I'm harder to get rid of than your average garden-variety spider." Kidomaru promised. "However, I won't be able to defeat you in this state either. Your Kikai will eat the chakra out of any attack I use."

Curly marks spread over his body, leaving his skin a dark red-almost gray color. Two horns jutted from his head causing his headband to fall off. A third eye opened on his forehead. Spikes shot from all six shoulders and forearms. His hair grew out and turned white. He also gained a spider's spinnerets, enabling him to spin webs without using chakra.

"You have no chance now." Kidomaru vowed. He leapt up into the trees, and spat out more of his special Spider Sticky Thread. It took the shape of a large bow. The string and the arrow came from his mouth. He shot regular webs from all three right arms and one left arm, suspending him in midair. Holding the bow in his first left arm, and pulling back more on the string with his second, he used his feet to bush the bow further away from the string, increasing the power exponentially.

"This is my Spider Bow. Oh, I forgot. You can't see me. But I can see you!" He cried. He released the bow-string from his mouth and the arrow streaked through the trees, on target. It flew from the cover of the forest flying straight at Shino. It shot through him and hit the ground behind. It made a decent sized crater.

"Damn! Another Bug Clone!" Kidomaru cursed as he watched Shino disassemble into thousands of small bugs. The real Shino didn't reappear.

"Where is that Leaf bastard?" The spider-nin asked. Shino's voice rang out. "You'd never believe me if I told you how gullible you are." Kidomaru still couldn't find him, but he had webs attached to his fingers spread out. If Shino touched one, Kidomaru would feel it an be on top of him before he could release his precious bugs. Se didn't notice one of said bugs crawling around on his tunic. All of a sudden he was surrounded by bugs again.

"Hidden Jutsu: Beetle Sphere!" Shino called from the leaves above Kidomaru. The bugs closed in again. It didn't work. Kidomaru emerged from the bug suit wearing more of his gold armor.

"Did you think just because there's more to cover that I wouldn't be able to use my Sticky Spider Thread Armor?" The spider-nin asked as the armor chipped off. "Now I've got a lock on you!" He announced, making another arrow. This one had a drilled end. He shot new strings onto his bow and got back in position. He fired. It was connected by a thick string to Kidomaru's mouth, and he guided it. As it flew into the trees he whipped the string a few times, and it moved following Shino's chakra signature. After a decent chase he felt the arrow hit home.

* * *

><p>Shino had almost gotten out of the way in time, but the arrow struck him. He was hit in the middle of the back, barely missing the spine and just passing between the lungs and punched through his chest. He grabbed the arrow as he fell to the ground. In the middle of his pain, he examined the arrow. He wasn't shocked to discover that it was reasonably hollow. The string went all the way through the arrow and stopped just behind the tip. It gave him an idea.<p>

Kidomaru felt the string keep moving around for a little while before it finally stopped moving. He was feeling pretty good, until he felt a drain on his body. He felt a piercing pain in his organs and intestines. He felt something crawling on his tongue, and he saw a bug crawl from his mouth out onto the bowstring. It was followed by another, and another, until hundreds of bugs were crawling from his body. The pain hadn't let up. He fell from the branch. He returned to his normal form. Shino staggered into view clutching his chest. The arrow was gone.

"You Leaf bastard." Kidomaru gasped. Bugs still crawled from his mouth and the pain began to lessen. But not enough. "How the hell did you…manage to…get your bugs…through my web?" He continued.

"Your arrow was…hollow. It was simple to see…that you had…that string going through it. My…Kikai burrowed…into your chakra laced string and followed it to you. You should have…cut the string. Your insides were the only thing you couldn't protect." Shino breathed. There was a trickle of blood coming from his mouth that was becoming steadily thicker. Kidomaru's three eyes rolled back into his head and he stopped breathing. Shino fell backward into a sitting position. The rest of the bugs flew from Kidomaru's mouth and all the insects went back to Shino. He laid back while the bugs began the long process of healing him using the spider-nin's chakra. He blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>I've decided to end my first chapter here. I wanted to finish off the 'Sound Ninja Four Elimination' Arc right off the bat, but that's not gonna happen. I'm already on the tenth Microsoft Word page. The rest would make twenty to twenty-five pages easy. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing, and I'll have the rest of the battles done for next time. Along with a special surprise. Ja Nae!<strong>


	2. Orochimaru's Elite?

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**Sorry I haven't updated before now, but I've been busy with other projects, and school's started for me. I'm finally a senior, but I don't have a lot of writing time. However, I still plan on putting everything I have into my updates to ALL my fics. So, last time Lee and Shino completely dominated their opponents. Now, only a few of the Sound Ninja are left alive, but the team from the Leaf have suffered casualties as well. Naruto, Neji, and Sasuke are the only ones left standing now. Can they defeat Tayuya and Sakon?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two: Orochimaru's Elite?<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hey Neji! Check out Shino with your Byakugan!" Naruto called back. The pale-eyed Genin let chakra flow through his optic nerves and activated the powerful Doujutsu.<p>

"I'm never gonna get used to those creepy eye-veins." The orange-clad Genin joked. "Quiet Naruto. I don't see Shino." Neji began. "Wait! There he is! He's on the ground, healing. The Spider-nin has perished."

"Yes!" Naruto cried. "Another one bites the dust!" "Calm down Naruto. There's still those other two." Sasuke berated the over-eager ninja. If only they knew how wrong they were.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations. You go free." Kabuto complimented with a subtle hint of what was to come. The recipient of this gift was a white haired man named Gen'yumaru.<p>

"That's fantastic Kabuto. Thank you." The man turned and began to walk toward what he thought was the exit. He saw a vision of a gigantic white snake, jaws split wide, ready to engulf him. He let out a blood-curdling scream.

"_Looks like you're too late getting Sasuke, Kimimaro."_ Kabuto thought as Gen'yumaru stood back up. He looked to the silver haired ninja with gold snake eyes. "It can't be helped." He rasped. "In three years, I'll be able to transfer again. I'll make _sure_ it's Sasuke."

* * *

><p>"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Twenty Naruto's flew at the two Sound Ninja. Quick as a flash, Tayuya put her flute to her lips and began to play. All the clones disappeared and the real Naruto hit the forest floor.<p>

"That was Genjutsu!" Sasuke cried. Neji contemplated. Sakon had ran on a moment ago. "Sasuke. Get Naruto and follow that other Sound Ninja." He blinked and his veins bulged out.

"My eyes see through all Genjutsu." Sasuke nodded and leapt down to his fallen friend.

"Please. My Genjutsu are absolute!" Tayuya cried, putting her flute back to her lips. Neji appeared beside her.

"Nothing is absolute!" He slammed both palms into her midriff. "Gentle Fist!" Blue chakra propelled Tayuya away from the Leaf Ninja.

"Huh." Tayuya began as she stood back up. "You must be a Hyuga. You might be worth the trouble after all. I am Tayuya of the North Gate." She finished with a flourish and a few notes from her flute.

"I am Neji Hyuga from the Hyuga Clan of Konoha! It is my job to defeat you!" "We'll see you boastful bastard." Tayuya played another few notes.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Three ogres appeared from a cloud of smoke. "These are my Rage Ogres. They do my fighting for me!" She then began an intricate piece of music, sending the ogres into a frenzy, beginning to attack.

The ogre with the metal club swung down. Neji barely got away. _"Damn. These ogres are as fast as they are powerful. I have to cut that Sound Nin's chakra supply!"_ Neji decided as he began systematically dodging toward Tayuya.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to Leaf Bastard!" Tayuya cried. She played louder and faster and Neji fell to his knees.

"Wind Style: Orientation Destruction Wave!" Neji clamped his hands over his ears and the ogre with the club knocked the white-eyed boy back into the trunk of the tree he perched on.

"Ninth Passage: Demon Revolution!" Each ogre forced its mouth open, ripping the threads that connected their lips. Blue chakra flew from each mouth, forming three snakes of energy. Each had multiple mouths along its length.

She played another quick melody and all three snakes struck out at Neji. He tried to move. "It's no use! My ogres will seek out your chakra, and they'll eat all of it!"

"Then I'll give them something to eat! Rotation!" He whirled around and the snakes hit a dome of his chakra. They were shredded, but they managed to eat some of the thick energy.

"What the hell was that?" Tayuya cried as the snakes began to reform. "That was my Clan's most powerful defense. The Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation." Neji moved fast, before the ogres could get another lock on him. The snakes moved after him quickly. Tayuya saw him going for her, and brought two of the ogres around to block him in a triangle formation.

"I've got you now!" "That's where you're wrong Sound Nin." Neji smirked. "I finally got all your ogres into my circle." Her eyes widened and she started to play again. Neji was too fast. He crouched down and the yin-yang symbol appeared at his feet. The circles spread from there, encircling all three ogres.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" He whirled and struck out in all directions. "Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms! Sixty-Four Palms!" All three ogres vanished into clouds of smoke.

"Now, it is time for this battle to be over!" Neji declared. "Palm Heel Strike!" He laced his right hand with chakra and thrust the heel in between the Sound Nin's breasts. She doubled over.

"Now, I think it's time you fell Tayuya of the North Gate." Music began playing again. "It's a nice trick, but that attack has paralyzed you."

"Don't put your limits on me Leaf bastard! Demon Flute: Chains of Fantasia!" Neji hit his knees in surprise. His arms were spread out at shoulder height at his sides. In his mind he was in a red world. Sturdy metal threads immobilized him. He felt a great burning sensation in his arms. He looked, and saw that they were 'melting away.'

Back 'outside' Tayuya looked on with amusement. "I told you, you bastard. My Genjutsu is absolute." She crouched down close to him to see the panic in his eyes. However, they were clear.

"And I told _you_. Nothing is absolute!" He leapt up. "Let me treat you to a move I've only perfected recently!" Tayuya brought her flute up. "Not a chance! Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" He thrust his arms out and chakra burst from his hands. The blast hit the Sound Ninja and knocked her away, into a group of smaller trees that collapsed on top of her.

"It is finished." Neji declared. But then the trees exploded and a figure landed close to Neji. Tayuya had transformed. Her brown eyes turned gold, and her red hair became much longer, becoming tinged pink. Her skin turned brown and multiple white horns sprouted from her head.

"Damn brat. I didn't expect to have to go to Second State." She reached out and bitch slapped the Genin, knocking him to the ground.

"It's time to play you a melody of death!" She lifted her flute to her lips. "Wind Style: Sensory Augmentation!" The sounds entered Neji's ears and he fell to his knees again.

"My Genjutsu enhanced your senses by so much that they overloaded. You can't see me. Hell, you can't even hear me. But I can kill you now." She leapt down and readied her flute. It had a sharpened end that worked like a blade.

"One thrust of this, and you'll be out of your misery, you piece of trash." She brought it down, but it was caught at the last second by Neji's hand. "What the hell. You couldn't have heard me coming! Your ears don't work!"

"My eyes aren't supposed to work either. But I told you." He said looking her straight in the eyes. "My eyes see through Genjutsu! Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" He landed the strikes and embedded her a foot into the tree behind her, sealing her chakra. Or so he thought. She lifted her flute again.

"How about a Ninjutsu then? Wind Style: Banshee Sound!" The wall of wind and sound slammed into Neji and threw him away from her. She struggled to get out of the tree.

"You just don't get it, do you? I analyzed that Jutsu with my ogres! It won't do anything to me in my release form!" She yelled after him. He walked back into the clearing, but he stumbled, and was disorientated.

"Finally! Something worked on you!" She moved in fast and stabbed her flute under his ribs, nearly hitting his heart. It was almost certainly fatal. Neji grabbed her arm.

"I was hoping I was going in the right direction. It seems you've found a Jutsu that can bypass my Byakugan. But it doesn't matter. You say the Sixty-Four Strikes won't harm you? Well, you're still in my circle." Another circle appeared around the normal area of attack.

"Wha-What's this?" "It's Eight Trigrams: One-Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" He began the attack. "Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms! Sixty-Four Palms! One-Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" After the last of the strikes, he sent a Gentle Fist strike straight into her heart, propelling her away with so much force that it sent a wall of trees down on top of her.

"_He's an amazing piece of trash."_ She thought before the trees crashed down.

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><p>"Hit him Naruto!" "Rasengan!" The Spiral Sphere in Naruto's hand slammed into the ground where Sakon had been standing. "You'll have to do better than that to stop me!" The Sound Ninja declared. He charged in.<p>

"Multiple Legs Barrage!" Sakon swung his right leg up to kick, and two more legs sprouted alongside the original. Naruto was caught off guard and go knocked to the side. He felt his ribs crack.

"Damn it! He's powerful!" Naruto yelled to Sasuke. "We'll double team him!" Sasuke yelled back. He made a few seals and his arm erupted in lightning.

"Chidori: One Thousand Birds!" "Rasengan!" Naruto formed the Rasengan in his left hand, with the Chidori on Sasuke's right. They crossed the attacks together and grasped hands in a show of brotherhood and the need to kick Sakon's ass.

"Let's go!" The two of them took off so fast they sent up a cloud of dust and rock chips. Sakon smirked and dodged easily.

"You guys suck." "That may be, but do you know the upside to an assassination Jutsu?" Sasuke asked. Naruto answered for him. "It's meant for speed!" They disappeared.

"What the hell kinda cheap trick is this?" Sakon asked. _"Don't drop your guard jackass! Behind you!"_

"ChidoRasenri! One Thousand Spiraling Birds!" The attack shot straight through Sakon's back, out his chest. Then, the energy shot past, leaving their arms sticking out of his chest and sending a thousand wind shaped like birds shooting into the air. They turned around and began to spin, electricity around them.

"That's our cue to run!" Naruto cried. They two jumped away as the birds his Sakon with the force of a miniature explosion. Naruto and Sasuke sat against the rocks of the gulley and tried to catch their breath.

"That was pretty powerful." Sasuke commented. "I know, right?" "What the hell's with this nonchalant conversation?" The smoke cleared. Sakon stood, cut completely in half, saving his head. Blood poured from his side. There was an identical Sakon beside him. His opposite side was bleeding heavily. Black marks spread over their visible skin. It turned red, and their hair lengthened and turned white. A horn came out of each of their foreheads. The part of their bodies that was destroyed was replaced by grey armor.

"Well, sorry about that Ukon. The only way to survive that was to separate. Even then, we had to go to Second State." The other boy glared at his twin. "Damn it. Let's get this over with." He vanished.

"Whatever you say Ukon. Get rid of the orange one, and we'll capture Sasuke." Sakon said. "Don't tell me what to do you bastard. I'll end this quick." Ukon's disembodied voice promised. Naruto fell to his knees.

"What the hell?" Blood dripped from his mouth. "Hey kid. Over here." Naruto forced his neck to twist around, and saw a sight that sent him recoiling onto his ass. Ukon's head protruded from his shoulder and glared at him.

"Welcome to our Demon Parasite Jutsu!" Ukon declared. "Even as we speak, I'm corrupting your cells. You won't last a min-" Ukon trailed off. His eyes widened and he began to scream.

"What is it brother?" Sakon cried. He made to move forward, but Sasuke blocked the way. "Don't forget about me." Sakon made no further movements, and kept his eyes on his brother.

Ukon's head writhed around for a few more seconds before he flew out of Naruto's body to stand beside his brother once more. They both launched a fist out and Sasuke slid to a stop beside Naruto.

"What's wrong Ukon?" "That kid has something else in him." The older twin said. He was barely standing. "It was horrible. There was this cage and inside was this pair of menacing red eyes and this terrible voice."

"You're exaggerating Ukon. Let's just finish them off." Ukon grasped his brother's arm and went back inside him. He poked his head and neck out beside his brother's and they began to advance again.

"Ugh." Naruto stood back up, eyes glowing red. He bit his thumb and made a few hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!" When the massive smoke cloud cleared Gamabunta sat battle ready.

"Naruto! Where's Jiraiya? That bastard owes me some sake for last time I was summoned!" "I'll make sure to tell him later Chief Toad, but I'm a little preoccupied here." Naruto pointed to Sakon and Ukon who were gaping at the giant summon.

"How the _hell_ did that Leaf bastard summon something so big?" Sakon asked the older twin. "Who gives a damn? Let's kill it!" They each bit their thumbs as well and made the same seals Naruto did.

"Summoning Jutsu: Rashōmon on the Offensive!" The twins called together. A giant metal gate shot out of the ground. It was red and the metal door had a demon's face emblazoned on it. The mouth opened and launched an inferno at the Chief Toad.

"Please! Do better!" Gamabunta cried. He opened his mouth wide. "Water Style: Water Bullet!" He fired a dense blast of water in the shape of a cannonball at the flames rushing forward. It cut through them like butter and hit the gate. At the last second the gate's mouth opened and swallowed the water.

"You can't get past the Rashōmon gate! It's indestructible!" Sakon claimed. "We'll see! Naruto! Get on my head!" Gamabunta cried. Naruto leapt onto his back and ran up.

"What next?" "You got anything that can make a fire?" Naruto looked thoughtful for a second. Then his face cleared. "Sasuke! Get up here!" The Uchiha jumped up beside his friend.

"Alright. I'm going to fire a stream of oil at them. You use your strongest Fire Style Jutsu!" He inhaled deeply as Sasuke made some hand seals. The Leaf nin took a deep breath.

"Fire Style: Toad Flame Bombs!" Sasuke shot off six bursts of fire just as Gamabunta spewed the oil. They combined and each fireball made the blast bigger. It engulfed Sakon, Ukon, and the Rashōmon. When the flames died Sakon and Ukon stepped out from behind the steaming gate. The face had transformed into a horrible grimace.

"That was a good try, but it didn't work." Sakon boasted. They all heard a whistling noise and looked up to see Naruto flying from Gamabunta's head with a Rasengan in his hand.

"Ha! That won't work either! That doesn't have enough force to break the Rashōmon!" True to Sakon's words, Naruto's Rasengan didn't do much damage. It only chipped the nose.

"Get back Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto looked behind him and scrambled away. Gamabunta had leapt high across the ground, closing space between the two summons in a second. He pulled out his Yakuza sword.

"Toad Blade Cut!" As he swung the sword down, the Rashōmon opened it's jaws wide and released the attack it absorbed from before. Both summons vanished in a poof of smoke.

"Damn it. I thought that toad would be a wallet before the attack landed." Sakon said. "Moron. You shouldn't be so cocky." Ukon scolded. "If you guys are finished?" Sasuke asked.

"You'll stay out of this!" Sakon yelled. He expelled Ukon from his body. Let's just kill these Leaf bastards!" "Fine!" They both ran forward.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto cried. Then there were a thousand Naruto's standing to battle. They all swarmed Ukon, who was running a little behind his younger brother. Three of the Naruto's slid across the forest floor, kicking Ukon into the air.

"Na-Ru-To!" Then each clone gave a quick two punches, left and right. "2K Uzumaki Barrage!" The clones finished with both fists crashing into Ukon from every possible angle. Ukon flew back and crashed into the ground. Sakon whirled around.

"Ukon!" His back was turned. "Big mistake!" Sakon whirled around to face Sasuke's swirling Sharingan. He was about to make a move when Sasuke got there first.

"_Chidori!_" Sakon gasped. The lightning based attack went straight through the right side of Sakon's chest. (The unarmored part of his body) He glared at Sasuke and tried to speak. The result was blood bubbling out of his mouth. His skin faded back to pale, his horn receding. His hair shortened and the armored half of his body transformed back to normal.

"D-damn it." He hit the pebbly ground as Sasuke pulled his arm out of his chest cavity. Ukon was just standing to his feet and he saw his brother fall. "Sakon! No!" Ukon disappeared into Sasuke and then reappeared behind him. He crashed his armored fist into Sasuke's head and he crumpled.

"_Sasuke!_" Naruto hunched slightly and his red tinted eyes slitted. His nails grew out, but his hair and whiskers stayed the same. He hadn't quite begun his transformation. He held out his right hand, palm up, and grabbed his wrist with his left. A blue Rasengan started spinning shakily. A small strand of red chakra mixed in and turned the attack a light purple. Naruto ran at Ukon.

"I'm sorry brother." Ukon said softly. He disappeared and Sakon's body stood up. The hole in his chest closed and he took on a new transformation. Both horns stuck out of his head, and his entire body below the neck was armored.

"This is out ultimate technique! It can only be used when one of us is in complete control of both bodies! It is our true Second State!" Ukon declared. "I'll avenge my brother!" The surviving brother launched himself at Naruto. The whiskered ninja turned and shoved the Rasengan into Ukon's armored chest. The armor fractured, but didn't give. Blood dripped out of Ukon's mouth around the fangs he bared in a grin.

"It didn't work you Leaf bastard. And this armor heals itself after a little while. I'm just near invincible!" He ran his claws through Naruto's back. Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke and a kunai sprouted from Ukon's chest. Naruto stood by Sasuke.

"I Substituted myself with a clone while you fused together." Naruto explained. "A pretty good effort, but this kunai won't do a damn's bit of difference." Ukon promised. Naruto smirked.

"Boom." Ukon's eyebrows furrowed. He looked down to see a paper-bomb attached to the knife. "Wha-?" The explosion threw him off his feet and chunks of the armor clattered to the ground around him.

"Believe it mother fucker." Naruto said with an unbelieving smirk. "I can't believe that worked." All off a sudden Ukon was standing in front of him. He slashed his claws across Naruto and the orange-clad ninja fell back. With bleary eyes he saw his kunai had completely destroyed the armor on Ukon's chest, and that he was open. But he couldn't get up.

"And now I'm gonna console myself by ripping your throat out with my fangs!" He bared them and dove at the blonde's neck. "Chidori!" Sasuke traveled the space between them in half a second, thrusting a lightning charged fist into the unarmored section of Ukon's shared body. The force of the shock and the blood spewing from his mouth was enough to break Ukon's fangs off. The Sound nin grabbed Sasuke's arm in both hands, keeping him in place. He was looking off in the distance.

"You Leaf bastards are dead now." He spoke around the blood. "Finish this trash off Kimimaro!" Sasuke looked over his shoulder and saw the white haired Sound ninja. He tried pulling his arm out, but the dying Sound nin's grip was still strong.

"Do not order me around. You failed Lord Orochimaru." Kimimaro took his time walking toward the for-all-intents-and-purposes immobilized Sasuke. He made a finger gun and pointed it at Sasuke's head.

"Finger Bullet." He said calmly. His skin peeled back and he switched targets quickly. The small bone-bullet flew at high speed into Ukon's head, right between the two horns. His grip loosened and he slid off Sasuke's arm.

"You are Sasuke Uchiha, aren't you? I can tell by your eyes." Sasuke let his Sharingan recede. "I'm here to collect you for Lord Orochimaru." Sasuke's eyes widened and the Sharingan came back up with a vengeance.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. Much." He was about to make a move, but was stopped by an unexpected interruption. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A thousand Naruto's burst into existence around them.

"Get outta there Sasuke!" Naruto cried, lost in the crowd. Sasuke leapt out of the huge circle in the confusion. Kimimaro smirked and crouched down. A needle-like bone sprouted from both shoulders, hands, elbows, and knees.

"Willow Dance!" The white-haired nin began whirling and stabbing with the bone blades, making clone after clone poof away in a cloud of smoke. In seconds they were all gone.

"I'm more powerful than those fools you faced before." He stood up and the bones retracted back into his body. The real Naruto stood looking out of his league. Kimimaro appeared behind Sasuke and put him in a choke-hold.

"It's time for us to go Sasuke." At that Naruto became himself again. "I won't let you take Sasuke!" "You can't stop me." Naruto's whiskers started to thicken, and so did his hair. His canines poked out past his lips.

"We'll just have to find out then, won't we?" Tufts of grass were ripped from the ground as Naruto disappeared from view, his speed increased exponentially by the Fox. Kimimaro pushed Sasuke away from him just as Naruto's fist closed in on his chest. Bones shot from his sternum and caught his fist. The white spears dug into his wrist.

"Larch Dance!" "Damn!" Naruto gasped. He pulled his fist back, making Kimimaro follow. He drew his left fist back and drove it into the bone-wielding nin's face. Just as the punch hit, Kimimaro released Naruto's hand, sending him flying back from the momentum.

"Camellia Dance!" Kimimaro popped his shoulder out of its socket, drawing it out of his shirt. The skin peeled away from his shoulder and the hilt of a boney sword began to emerge. He grasped it and pulled it out. The Sound nin began another dance of thrusts and strikes that Naruto was barely fast enough to dodge. Sasuke was standing nearby, rubbing his throat.

"_Damn it. I can't do anything like this! I've gotta help Naruto!"_ "Ugh! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled. He made a clone to throw him back farther and take the hit for him. Kimimaro didn't stay away for long. He closed the distance in one long step. He was in the middle of a thrust when he was interrupted.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The orange fireball was offset with ominous purple tongues. Kimimaro moved out of the way. A terrible cracking made the bone nin and Naruto turn in Sasuke's direction. The Uchiha had just cracked his neck. The purple chakra from the Curse Mark spiraled around him and black flame markings spread across his visible skin.

"Sasuke! What are you doing?" Naruto asked. "We both need to be as strong as possible to beat this guy. We've got to get back to the others and get to the village. We're too weak from that last battle. I was out of chakra, and you needed help."

"Don't let the Uchiha fool you Leaf brat. He has succumbed to Lord Orochimaru's power!" "Alright Sasuke. Let's kick this guy's ass! Then, we'll kill Orochimaru, and you'll never have to worry about that Curse Mark again!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" One clone came to life and began swirling chakra into the Rasengan while Sasuke completed the seals for the Chidori and the familiar lightning erupted over his arm. They crossed the attacks and grasped arms once more.

"Think you can keep up with our ultimate combo?" Naruto asked with a smirk. They vanished, moving far faster than when they first completed the attack. Sasuke lagged behind for a few seconds, but an unseen shift in his eyes brought him up to the same speed as Naruto. The tomoe in his eyes split, going from two to three.

A change was occurring in Kimimaro as well. Straight lines spread across his skin at all angles, branching till they occupied a space everywhere on his body. The attack came up behind, just like before, but it was stopped at the skin. It couldn't pierce through.

"Do you know why?" Kimimaro asked without turning. "It's because I created a layer of bone under my skin. Only the strongest pressures can break through." Kimimaro finally turned to face them.

"I don't understand why Lord Orochimaru seeks _you_ to be his vessel." The bone nin remarked to Sasuke. "You're weak." He looked to Naruto. "But I must follow my Lord's will. I will kill you and take Sasuke Uchiha to my master. There will be no more playing around." Kimimaro's chakra transformed again, and his body followed suit. His skin turned a dark grey/brown, and his hair turned steel grey. His forehead wrinkled and his eyes turned gold. Around the eye was a black marking. A tail sprouted from his lower back, and multiple bone spikes burst out of his back.

"Clematis Dance: Vine!" He reached behind his head and the end of his spine broke through the skin. He grabbed and pulled, bringing the spine out. It was a whip made of his vertebra.

"Oh damn." Sasuke and Naruto said together. They leapt back. "I don't have any long range attacks!" Naruto cried. Sasuke made some seals. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" The fireballs were swatted away with the whip.

"Surely you don't think you can defeat me like this?" Kimimaro mocked. He began to charge. "Sasuke! Let's hit him with everything!" Naruto cried. He made the familiar cross seal.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" "Sharingan!" Ten of the clones ran at the slower Kimimaro. They all leapt into the air and unzipped their jackets as Sasuke finished the seals for a Jutsu.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The huge ball of flames caught the clones and the embers licked the paper bombs strapped to all them. A giant explosion rocked the ground and the rest of the clones jumped into the smoke cloud. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Naruto! Down!" Naruto hit the dirt just as the spine-whip slashed across where his head had been. The smoke quadrupled as every clone was defeated. When it cleared Kimimaro was unscathed by even the explosion.

"Damn it!" Naruto cried. "What do we have to do to kill this guy?" "I am Lord Orochimaru's most powerful servant. You cannot kill me." "We'll see. Let's try again Naruto." Sasuke proposed. Naruto looked back at him. "There's nothing we can do!"

"We can have power." Sasuke's eyes were black around the Sharingan. His hair grew out and turned a blue gray. His skin darkened and became the color of ashes. A black shuriken mark blossomed over his nose.

"Sasuke! What's happening?" "He's giving into the Curse Mark." Kimimaro smirked. "He is losing the battle." Naruto looked back at his friend as giant hand-like wings burst from his back.

"Don't give in! We can beat him without using the Curse Mark!" Naruto tried to reason with Sasuke. Kimimaro began to laugh. "There's no reasoning with a man mad with power." The bone-user slashed Naruto with the whip and made him fall back, a bleeding mess.

"You aren't worth messing with. I want to see how far Lord Orochimaru's vessel has progressed." Kimimaro began to charge again, not knowing that Naruto had already began healing the grievous wound.

Kimimaro swung his whip again, wrapping it around Sasuke's new form. The spikes of the vertebrae dug into the Uchiha's grey skin. "That would've killed me if you'd done it earlier." Sasuke noted.

"This _is_ power." Sasuke flared his wings out, making the bones dig in deeper. He winced, but saw that the cartilage connecting the bones was straining to keep him bound.

"You won't be able to keep me contained much longer." The Uchiha told the Sound nin. He had enough room to move his hands, and took a second to weave some seals.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" He breathed the multiple fireballs into Kimimaro at close range. He staggered back a little from the intense attack and that was all Sasuke needed. He opened his wings fully, and Kimimaro couldn't keep the whip taut around the writhing Leaf nin. Sasuke broke free. He put his arm out and the blue lightning of the Chidori blazed down his arm.

"Take this!" Sasuke thrust in and Kimimaro stopped the attack by grabbing the Genin's wrist with his right hand. "Nice try. But not good enough." He held out his left arm and a bone began poking out of the palm. It spiraled out and encased his arm until he had a giant bone drill.

"Clematis Dance: Flower!" He declared. "I'm not going to kill you. Only disable you until Kabuto can heal you up." He had just began to attack when he was interrupted.

"_I won't be ignored!_" A red chakra claw wrapped around Kimimaro's head, gripping the left side of his face. His thick skin began burning immediately. The claw pulled back and Kimimaro was forced to whirl away from Sasuke.

"I won't let you take Sasuke!" The blond ninja was coated in red chakra in the shape of a fox with one tail. As he stood in one spot the rocks at his feet began splintering like wood.

"That's fine by me. I'll get rid of you first!" Kimimaro jammed the flower of his fourth dance into Naruto's stomach. Naruto's blood splattered from his mouth onto Kimimaro's bone, but he didn't fall.

"Naruto…" Sasuke rasped. "The hardest material can still be pierced. By itself." Normally, something that cryptic would fly right over Naruto's head, but all of his attributes were being enhanced by the powers of the fox, and he caught on quickly. But Kimimaro caught on too.

"Good luck breaking these bones." He taunted. Naruto raised his head and looked the bone-user in the eyes. His smile was all fangs.

"What do you have to smile about?" The blond brought his right hand up and showed what was nestled in his palm. A purple Rasengan. Naruto crashed the Rasengan into the Clematis Flower and it began to crack.

"This is impossible!" "_Believe It!_" Naruto cried as the bones gave and split. Kimimaro stumbled back, and Naruto ripped the bones from his stomach. They still spiraled and ended in the drill like point. The blond ninja reared back and shoved the bones into Kimimaro's chest. Blood dripped from his mouth and from the place where the bones sprouted from his chest.

Naruto jumped back to land by Sasuke. "Good job Naruto." "Let's end this bastard!" Naruto formed another Rasengan. The attack rotated much more rapidly than before, and another tail began to bubble up behind him. The Rasengan began to shudder, like it was unstable.

"_RRRRAAAAAHHHH!_" Rocks and dirt were thrown into the air as Naruto took off. "_Ultimate Rasengan!_" (1) The super-powered attack crashed into the jagged stump of bone poking from Kimimaro's body. The bones splintered on impact and were driven further into the sickly ninja's body. Instead of his abdomen, there wasn't anything but a bloody, pulpy hole.

"Finish him off Sasuke!" Naruto jumped back. Sasuke made the seals for the Chidori, and the attack appeared as normal. Then Sasuke moved his arm to the side. The lightning turned black and began to spark more erratically until the attack grew to twice the normal size.

"It's time for you to get a feel for my 'Ominous Chidori.'" (2) Sasuke smirked. He also tore through the ground, chasing his opponent down. Kimimaro still managed to look at the attack with contempt.

"Bracken Dance." All around him spires of bone sprang from the ground, growing high into the air. He vanished from view. Sasuke pulled back and began flapping his wings, raising into the air before he could be caged in. Naruto leapt from bone to bone, each spire branching to try to catch him. The bones stopped growing, and the two Leaf nin used chakra to stand on the bones. Kimimaro still couldn't be found.

The two staggered and their various modifications began to recede into their bodies. It was all they could do to stay on their spires. "So, you think he got caught in that attack?" Naruto asked.

"_Don't be foolish! You cannot defeat me! I fight for Lord Orochimaru!_" Kimimaro was behind him and he'd used another Clematis Flower. He went to strike when he froze in place and his dark eyes glazed over. He went limp and fell from the bones to the rocky floor below.

The two Leaf nin looked to each other and began to smile before their eyes rolled back and they toppled like their opponent.

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><p><strong>Jeez. That was a friggin' long chapter. I can't believe I wrote 14 pages. I've been working on this for about two weeks maybe. I lost my inspiration in the middle, and it took awhile to get back. So there you have it. The Leaf ninja have won the fight, but there have been major injuries. Our two heroes are suffering from major chakra exhaustion, and the others are alive as well, but in danger of being on the other end of that spectrum. Can they pull out? Will Sasuke be able to resist using the Curse Mark again? Next chapter is the recovery, and you'll have to read through from there to see where we go from there. So here's the end to the long awaited chapter two of What If?<strong>

**(1) and (2) I have Naruto: Path of the Ninja, and Path of the Ninja Two, so I used the name for the Nine-Tails Rasengan and the Stage Two Chidori they use in the game. On Narutopedia the Stage Two Chidori is called the Flapping Chidori, but that sounded retarded. Therefore, it is the Ominous Chidori.**


	3. Shippuden Begin

**What If**

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><p><strong>By: DisasterMaster445<strong>

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><p><strong>The Sound Ninja have been defeated, and Naruto managed to keep Sasuke in the Leaf Village. However, to defeat the powerful opponents, both ninja had to pull out all the stops. Sasuke used the Curse Mark, which was promised by Orochimaru to erode his will, while Naruto used the Nine-Tailed Fox's power, which shortens his life, burning it like a candle. At the end of Chapter One, I promised you a surprise. Now, you'll see it come to fruition.<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Shippuden Begin<strong>

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><p>Four blurs streaked across the tree line, heading for home. The blurs dropped to the forest floor, stopping on the pebbly bank of a river. Further down, out of their sight, was the sight of a great battle. They could still see white, bony spires shooting towards the sky, taller than the treetops.<p>

Skidding to a stop over the pebbles, a white haired man stood tall. He turned to his companions and nodded. The other adult of the group crinkled his visible eye in a smile. "Well guys, we'll make camp here for the night, and we'll be back in the Village tomorrow." He, being Kakashi of course, was talking to none other than our heroes, Naruto and Sasuke, the fourth member of their party being the Toad Sage Jiraiya.

All four ninja dropped their packs and set up their camp. It had been a long year of hard training ever since the battle with Kimimaro, which was now called the Battle of the Bones. The new bone forest was called the Boneyard, and many a ninja was sent on a mission to the Boneyard to clear out bandits and rogues.

Naruto and Sasuke had grown up quite a bit over the past year. Naruto had grown three or four inches, leaving the fourteen year old at a finally average height. His orange clothes had been shredded during his training, and he now wore a tight black t-shirt that showed off the muscles he'd gained. He wore a pair of cargo pants with many pockets for holding his various ninja tools. The pants were orange, but not the bright orange he'd worn before. They were a darker, burnt orange. The cuffs of the pants were stuffed into the black combat boots he wore. He wore a pair of fingerless gloves like Kakashi's over his hands. His blond hair had grown out a little, and the bangs hung over his face at the absence of his headband, the plate of which was stitched into the left knee of his pants.

Sasuke hadn't grown quite as much, but he and Naruto stood at the same height. Sasuke also had to have a new wardrobe. It was hard keeping up with Naruto's pace when it came to training, so his clothes were obliterated. He wore a tightly linked black mesh shirt under a white jacket that was zipped halfway. The inside and the hood was lined with dark blue fur. He wore a pair of cargo pants like Naruto's, but his were black, with the Uchiha fan repeating in a stripe down the side of the legs. He wore black wristbands under the jacket, and his cargo pants were tucked into his black ninja sandals. His hair had grown to be as long as it was in the Chunin Exam Finals, over a year before. The plate of his headband was stitched to the back of his jacket. A kusanagi was strapped horizontally to the belt loops of his cargo pants. The guard-less sword's hilt and sheath fit together seamlessly, both deep blue with a black stripe down the center.

Kakashi and Jiraiya hadn't changed at all. Speaking of, the two older ninja called their pupils over to the campfire, where they had a supper of rations and a few rabbits captured by Kakashi.

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><p>It was later in the night, and Naruto was on watch. He sat high in a tree, staring out into the forest. His eyes crossed the Boneyard, and he couldn't help thinking back.<p>

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><p>It was just after Naruto had speared Kimimaro with his own bones. <em>Naruto jumped back to land by Sasuke. "Good job Naruto." "Let's end this bastard!" Naruto formed another Rasengan. The attack rotated much more rapidly than before, and another tail began to bubble up behind him. The Rasengan began to shudder, like it was unstable.<em>

"_RRRRAAAAAHHHH!" Rocks and dirt were thrown into the air as Naruto took off. "Ultimate Rasengan!" The super-powered attack crashed into the jagged stump of bone poking from Kimimaro's body. The bones splintered on impact and were driven further into the sickly ninja's body. Instead of his abdomen, there wasn't anything but a bloody, pulpy hole._

"_Finish him off Sasuke!" Naruto jumped back. Sasuke made the seals for the Chidori, and the attack appeared as normal. Then Sasuke moved his arm to the side. The lightning turned black and began to spark more erratically until the attack grew to twice the normal size._

"_It's time for you to get a feel for my 'Ominous Chidori.'" Sasuke smirked. He also tore through the ground, chasing his opponent down. Kimimaro still managed to look at the attack with contempt._

"_Bracken Dance." All around him spires of bone sprang from the ground, growing high into the air. He vanished from view. Sasuke pulled back and began flapping his wings, raising into the air before he could be caged in. Naruto leapt from bone to bone, each spire branching to try to catch him. The bones stopped growing, and the two Leaf nin used chakra to stand on the bones. Kimimaro still couldn't be found._

_The two staggered and their various modifications began to recede into their bodies. It was all they could do to stay on their spires. "So, you think he got caught in that attack?" Naruto asked._

"Don't be foolish! You cannot defeat me! I fight for Lord Orochimaru!_" Kimimaro was behind him and he'd used another Clematis Flower. He went to strike when he froze in place and his dark eyes glazed over. He went limp and fell from the bones to the rocky floor below._

_The two Leaf nin looked to each other and began to smile before their eyes rolled back and they toppled like their opponent._

_Naruto awoke to rain pounding his face. He just remembered the fall, not knowing how he survived the drop. Sasuke laid near him, with the Sound ninja not far away. He couldn't move, and Sasuke hadn't woke up yet. He heard a bark and Pakkun, one of Kakashi's Ninja Hounds landed beside him._

"_Kakashi! I found 'em!" He cried in his gruff voice. The silver haired ninja landed soon after and noticed his student was awake. "Naruto. I'm glad you both are ok." The Copy Ninja's eye crinkled in a smile as he started to pick Naruto up. When the orange-clad ninja was safely secured to his back, he made a few familiar hand signs._

"_Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another Kakashi 'poofed' into existence and picked Sasuke off the ground._

"_Let's get you all back to the Village, ok?" The two Kakashi leapt back into the trees, carrying his two students back to safety._

* * *

><p><em>The next time Naruto woke up, he was in the hospital. Sasuke was in the bed beside him, and Sakura sat between them. The pinkette looked up, startled.<em>

"_Naruto! You're awake! Lady Tsunade said it might be a few more days before either of you woke." Naruto smiled for a second, before his gaze clouded over once more._

"_What about Lee, Shino, and Neji? How're they?" Sakura looked down again, before she looked to the blond boy and smiled. "Lady Tsunade and the medics were able to heal everyone, but it took a lot of time. The Hokage used most of her chakra, and her Genjutsu dropped for awhile. She locked herself in her office and didn't come out till she got some chakra back." Naruto laughed._

"_But are they ok?" He asked, becoming serious again. "Well…Lee ripped up his muscles using the Hidden Lotus, just like with Gaara. He healed, but he's been taken off missions until Lady Tsunade gives the ok."_

"_What about Shino?" "Shino was pierced by an arrow, but when the medics found him, his bugs were already healing him. It wasn't hard for him to be healed completely. Neji was stabbed under the ribs, and they almost got his heart. But he didn't need much healing either. Most of it came from you, Sasuke, and Lee."_

_At that time the door opened, revealing Kakashi and Jiraiya. "Sakura, could you give us a few minutes with Naruto and Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "Of course Sensei." The pink-haired girl left._

"_Sasuke, I know you heard everything. Open your eyes." Kakashi said. Sasuke sat up. "Listen." Jiraiya began. "I've gotten some Intel that says Orochimaru switched bodies already." When they stared at him, he proceeded to explain Orochimaru's body-changing process. "Now, according to my information, it'll be three years before Orochimaru can switch again. We're gonna use some of that time strengthening Sasuke up before he get's attacked again." Naruto stared._

"_So that's it? You're just taking Sasuke off for three years? Without me? I thought you were _my_ master Pervy-Sage!" "Calm down kid. Of course you're coming too. Kakashi as well. And it won't be three years. We'll be back in a year for the Chunin Exams. I'm gonna work with you, and Kakashi will prepare Sasuke for his fight."_

"_Wait…why's Naruto need to train for Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked. "Naruto's not training for Orochimaru Sasuke. He's training for the Akatsuki." Jiraiya informed._

"_What do the Akatsuki have to do with this?" Naruto wondered. "They're on the move, capturing Tailed-Beasts. They're after you. You remember Itachi and Kisame?" How could he forget? Sasuke remembered too._

"_There's seven more members, just like them. Some are even stronger. We've got to prepare you."_

* * *

><p>"<em>We'll be back in a year Sakura. Then, we'll all take the Chunin Exams again. We'll definitely make it this time!" Naruto vowed. The three of them stood together, arm in arm, Sakura in the middle as they posed for a picture. Then, Naruto, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Sasuke turned away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and walked out the gates.<em>

* * *

><p>"It's been a long time Sakura. I can't wait for us all to meet up tomorrow."<p>

* * *

><p>Sasuke and Naruto had burst into a sprint over ground as they neared the Village gates, both trying to beat the other. Sasuke had a competitive smirk on his face, while Naruto's grin split his face and could be seen as a bright light by the Chunin at the gate.<p>

Both Genin breezed past Izumo and Kotetsu, heading into Konoha. "Hey," The spiky-haired Chunin started. "Wasn't that Naruto and Sasuke?" "It's about time." Izumo answered. "Sakura's been getting pretty restless." They shared a laugh as Jiraiya and Kakashi stepped up to fill out the entrance papers.

* * *

><p>The boys were neck and neck, trying to get to the center of the Village before the other. The finish line was the top of the giant telephone pole in the center of the square. Both hit it at the same time and began to run up it.<p>

"_Gotta beat Sasuke!"_ Naruto weaved his most useful signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A clone appeared in front of him, grabbed him by the arm, and slung him into the air. He landed on top of the pole just as Sasuke took the last step, leaping gracefully into the air.

"You cheated, you loser." Sasuke accused. However, his words weren't harsh, as the respect Naruto paid him had finally been returned in full over the course of their training. They were now truly, best friends. His words were full of mirth, and Naruto knew he was joking.

"I just used what I had." The two fourteen year-olds grinned out at the Village they grew up in. Naruto stepped to the edge of the telephone poll and spread his arms wide.

"Hello world! Naruto Uzumaki has returned!" Sasuke smirked, kicking his friend in the back and watching him topple off the side. He hit the ground in front of someone, startling her, before standing and yelling back at the Uchiha. "Bastard!" He turned around, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. My bastard teammate up there knocked me off and-" He really looked at the girl. She was about two inches shorter than him, wearing a deep red skirt, with black tights underneath, and knee length boots. She wore a pink kimono shirt, tied together with a black obi around her waist. The shirt was imprinted with red threat, and pictured thousands of cherry-blossoms blowing across the fabric. She twirled for him, showing the Sakura tree stitched to the back. The most startling thing was her pink hair that framed her face, but was tied up in the back. When she stood still again, he looked into her sparkling green eyes, and felt himself fall in love again.

"H-hey Sakura." Sasuke dropped down beside his friends. "Sakura?" Even the Uchiha had to admit, Sakura looked stunning in her new battle garb. She tackled both of them in a hug as Kakashi and Jiraiya came up behind them.

"It's so great to see you guys!" She exclaimed. She pulled back and examined both boys closely. "You look stronger." She said." "You too." They said together.

"Listen, while this catching up is interesting to watch, Master Jiraiya and I have to see the Hokage. However, I'm sure she'll want to see your progress, and I'm eager to see yours Sakura. Meet me in Training Ground Seven in about an hour." Kakashi stated. Both Sensei vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>"It's been a long time since we've been here. Literally <em>and<em> figuratively." Sasuke commented. They'd been waiting for Kakashi for three hours. Naruto and Sasuke had taken it for granted that if they woke up with Kakashi everyday, he couldn't be late for training. That changed pretty quick.

"If he shows up reading his porn, this'll be exactly like when we became a team." Sakura laughed. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a quick glance. "Actually Sakura, Kakashi-Sensei kicked that habit." She looked startled.

"Yeah." Sasuke added. "We don't understand it, but once, during training, we had to camp with this all kunoichi squad." Naruto took over there. "I remember the first night the fire was bigger than we'd ever had before, and now everytime you mention his books, he kinda huddles and cries a little."

"I don't cry." Kakashi said from the top of the fence the three Genin reclined on. The three were so startled that they fell to their butts into the dirt.

"How about we go ahead and start? We have our audience." The Godaime Hokage, her assistant Shizune, Jiraiya, and the other two Genin teams that graduated with Naruto's group stood outside the fence.

"We'll have the same test we had on our first day as Team Seven. The Bell Test." He twinkled two bells and strapped them to his belt. "Now, remember-" Kakashi began.

"If we don't come at you-" "-Like we're trying to kill you-" "-We won't succeed." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura chimed in, mirroring their Sensei during their first test as a team.

"Alright then. I guess it's time to-" "I've got this!" Naruto cried. "You with me Sasuke?" The Uchiha smirked, but made no move to join in as Naruto leapt into the air, coming down on his Sensei with a kick that Kakashi dodged easily.

"I see you haven't learned as much as I thought you did Naruto." Kakashi commented. Naruto whirled with a kunai that Kakashi grabbed, and put behind his head, just like the first time.

"I didn't say start." He vanished. "Damn it Naruto! I guess some things never change." Sakura laughed. "Come on Sakura. You know you missed me." "Naruto, come on yourself. We've gotta find Kakashi." Sasuke pointed out.

* * *

><p>"<em>At least Naruto's faster than he used to be."<em> Kakashi noticed. He watched from his hiding place and he saw the three of them go off in separate directions.

"This didn't work last time." He noted. "I guess they've got to learn the hard way." He took off after Naruto.

* * *

><p>If Naruto remembered right, Kakashi came after him first. And the first lesson? If the bait was too easy, don't take it. And Naruto had become plenty smarter when it came to fighting during his training. He could set up a trap.<p>

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><p>When Kakashi came up on the blond ninja, he was setting up his trap. He was hunched over. Just finishing a cover of leaves over a net trap. He could barely see the ninja wire connected with his naked eye. It wasn't bad for his slowest student. But it wasn't good enough.<p>

"Not bad Naruto, but you could've done better." He threw a kunai and sliced the wires, making the trap useless. Or so he thought. What actually happened was that the wires traveled up, into the trees, and a net full of logs dropped from the canopy, aimed right at the Copy Ninja.

Kakashi leapt back, but noticed a small cloud of smoke where Naruto had stood. "Shadow Clones Sensei! Remember what you told me? If the bait is too easy, don't fall for it! _Rasengan!_" Naruto came from behind him, a swirling ball of death in his hand. It hit, but Naruto destroyed only a block of the wood he'd dropped.

"Damn it! Substitution!" Naruto didn't know where his Sensei disappeared too, but he began making his way back from where he came.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was next. He knew it. His lessons were maybe the toughest. Like Kakashi-Sensei was comparing him to someone the first time around. He still didn't know if he passed, but he was even more determined this time. Kakashi tested him on two things. Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu. He was good at both, and Kakashi had seen all his training, but he hadn't been on the receiving end of one of Sasuke's attacks in awhile.<p>

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Sasuke whirled and saw the giant Water Jutsu coming straight at him. He'd only been able to use this Jutsu right maybe twice. He figured it had a 50/50 shot of saving him. He made a few seals.

"Lightning Style: Chidori Current!" Lightning crackled around him in a sphere shaped shield. The water hit and began to steam. Sasuke leapt from the ground, and the current traveled through the water, leading back to Kakashi. The Copy Ninja dodged easily, coming up behind his student.

"Very good, perfecting the Chidori Current. Your change in chakra form is coming along nicely." Sasuke's eyes transformed quicker than Kakashi thought possible, and the Uchiha was on him. He kicked his Sensei in the jaw, sending him into the sky.

"Dancing Leaf Shadow." Sasuke was behind Kakashi. He whirled and caught the Jonin with a kick, spun back with a back hand, and spun again, hitting Kakashi with a punch. He was about to finish the Lion's Barrage, when bandages swirled around him and he saw Kakashi's Sharingan looking deep into his own.

"Sorry Sasuke, but this is about it for you. Primary Lotus!" They began to spin rapidly, and Kakashi slammed Sasuke into the ground.

"And that's that." "I'd think you, an elite Jonin, would see through a Substitution." It was Kakashi's turn to whip around, only to be faced with Sasuke making rapid seals.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The large ball of flames rushed at the Jonin Sensei, who jumped out of the way. Sasuke was gone.

* * *

><p>"Now, I guess I'll go back to the clearing and help Naruto set up for the rest of the plan."<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura couldn't believe how well Naruto, Sasuke, and herself could be on the same wavelength after so much time, but they came up with a battle plan really quickly. Judging from the sounds of battle, she guessed it was about her time to shine.<p>

"Ugh. Sakura." She turned, seeing just what she expected to see from her Sensei. Sasuke was crouched on the ground, clutching numerous wounds with multiple weapons sticking through him.

"I'm surprised you'd think that'd work on me twice. It's been awhile, and you don't realize the training I've done." She put her hands in a simple seal. "I'm not just some fangirl. I'm a real kunoichi. _Release!_" Sasuke cleared from her sight, and she began focusing, looking for her Sensei.

"_Forward, backward, left, right, above. Well, the only place left is…_below_!"_ She leapt up, driving a chakra-laced fist into the ground. The earth pretty much exploded and Kakashi was thrown into the air, along with hundreds of pounds of rock and dirt. His eyes were wide, anime-style, and he knew somewhere, Jiraiya was wincing, and Tsunade had a smirk on her face. However: Sakura, like her teammates, wasn't anywhere in sight.

* * *

><p>"Sakura, how'd it go?" "Perfect. You guys really understand Kakashi-Sensei." "I can't take any credit for that. I worked with Pervy-Sage the whole time. Sasuke's the one who came up with the plan."<p>

"It was a good plan. But, I'm sorry to say I'm tired of the runaround." Kakashi said with an eye-crinkle smile. He advanced quickly.

"Strongest Jutsu! Now!" Sasuke called. He whipped out his kusanagi and began channeling energy. The blade was made of charka metal, and absorbed the chakra nature of whoever used it. Sasuke's sword crackled with electricity. Naruto summoned four Shadow Clones, who stood around his outstretched arm, shelling out chakra for an unknown Jutsu. Sakura decided to start things off.

"Earth Style: Rolling Earth Wave!" She hit both palms against the ground, sending a shock through the dirt. The ground shot out from her hands, shaking and waving as it shockwaves moved toward Kakashi. His eye-smile got bigger.

"Lightning Blade!" He thrust the powerful Jutsu into the ground, the shock repelling the waves from Sakura's attack. "Lightning cancels Earth." He informed. "I'm glad you found out your elemental affinity though." He was interrupted as Sasuke rushed him.

"Lightning Style: Kusanagi!" Kakashi made a few quick seals and started to spin. "Wind Style: Whirl Barrier!" Wind began to pick up and it stripped the lightning from Sasuke's blade. Kakashi kept spinning. His distorted voice gave more advice.

"Wind cancels Lightning." Sasuke grinned. His blade erupted in flames. "Fire Style: Kusanagi!" He slashed the winds, and the flames engulfed Kakashi.

"Wind also makes Fire bigger Sensei." Sasuke said. He felt Kakashi grab his feet from below, and he was jerked into the ground.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" Kakashi said as he crawled out of the ground. He walked over to Sasuke's head. "You're good. But not good enough. Yet." The Copy Ninja relented. That's when he remembered Naruto. _"Wait. He's not trying _that_ Jutsu, is he?"_ At the sudden realization, Kakashi turned, not seeing his blond student. He heard high-pitched whirling, but he couldn't detect the source. Kakashi looked up, the source dawning on him.

"Wind Style: Rasengan!" The boy dropped form the sky, a green Rasengan with small shuriken blades whirling in his hand. His face was strained, and the Jutsu pulsed unnaturally, like it was about to bust apart. The blades randomly extended and shrank, like they wanted to burst out of the spiraling ball. Jiraiya cried out from the sidelines.

"Naruto, you fool! You're nowhere _near_ being able to use that Jutsu!" Just as the Sannin's voice rang out, Naruto lost all concentration, the Jutsu blowing up in his face. He was blasted back, and Kakashi ran to him. Crouching down, he began to check the battered boy for any serious injuries. He felt a tug at his belt, saw Naruto's arm throw, something glint in the air, and heard jingling as Sasuke and Sakura grabbed. The blue-eyed boy looked into his Sensei's eyes.

"We win." His head hit the ground.

* * *

><p>"You <em>idiot<em>! Why did you use that Jutsu! You've almost _killed_ yourself dozens of times! Would the Fourth Hokage want you to _die_ doing something he himself said might be impossible?" Jiraiya ranted at the boy in the hospital bed.

"But we _won_." Naruto pointed out. Some things really _didn't_ change. "That doesn't matter! I've warned you thousands of times not to use it!" "Enough. Naruto, until you've mastered the Jutsu, you aren't to use it in combat." Tsunade ordered. He wasn't happy, but Naruto agreed.

"Now, you and Sasuke have some visitors." She led everyone out, and let six more people in.

"_Yahoo!_ That was some of the most amazing fighting I've ever seen!" Kiba remarked. He'd gotten taller as well, but not much else changed. His grey jacket was switched to a different one, with red, white, and black stripes across it. Akamaru was about the size of a German Sheppard, and could by no means ride on the boy's head.

"K-Kiba, calm down. We're in a hospital." Hinata had let her blue hair grow out a little, and it went straight down to her shoulders. She wore tights and a newer jacket, seemingly modeled after Naruto's old one, the orange and blue switched with white and purple. She wore it much better than Naruto ever did.

"It's good to see you." Shino stated quietly. He still wore his grey coat, but it was completely unzipped, and the collar was down. Underneath he wore simple blue ninja clothes, like most Jonin wore. His hair was cut shorter, and his usually hidden face was seen for the first time by Naruto and Sasuke. The bug-user had a rather handsome face, and was unaccustomed to walking through the Village with people seeing it. He even had a few fangirls of his own now.

"Hey Sasuke." Ino said, already flirting. Then she looked to Naruto. "Losing the orange was a good choice Naruto." She winked at him, but of course, he missed it. Sakura glared at her flirty friend. Ino had gotten prettier. Her hair had been cut in the last Chunin Exams, and she'd decided to keep it kinda short. She wore a purple oriental battle dress, with flower petals stitched up the right side. It was held together by a black obi, and under she wore black pants. Her hair had been taken up in buns, kinda like Tenten's, except a few strands poked out in random directions, and her bangs came down in her face, highlighting her pale blue eyes.

Shikamaru didn't say anything, but he stared up at the ceiling, like he was counting the dots on the tiles. He wore a black jumpsuit under his Chunin vest. On his left shoulder was the plate from his headband, and on the other was his clan symbol, the blue circle, with a line through it.

Choji had a pretty drastic change. He'd grown almost six inches, and the result was that he'd thinned out. His hair was free from his headband, which was around his neck. The height gain made it seem as though Choji lost his baby fat. His face was thinned, and he looked more muscular. His new philosophy? Muscle weighs more than fat. The only problem was that his Jutsu used more calories than they used to. He had to eat more, but he didn't get bigger. He wore black pants like Shikamaru's, but a red shirt, with silver armored plates. The chest plate had the clan symbol on it, the kanji for food in a red circle.

"Wow. A year really does a lot, doesn't it Sasuke?" "You guys should see yourselves." Shikamaru said. "You guys look different too. You fight different, that's for sure."

"Listen." Choji started. "The real reason we came it, the Chunin Exams are coming up again. They're being held in Iwagakure, and we wanted to know if you guys were going."

* * *

><p>It was a week later, and Naruto was given a clean bill of health. They'd filled out all the necessary paperwork, they'd shouldered their packs, and they met Kakashi at the gates. They were headed to Iwagakure. The other three teams, Shikamaru's, Kiba's, and Neji's had already gone ahead, and they were about to follow.<p>

"Guys, we've trained a year for this. We'll come back as Chunin. Believe it!"

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. Third chapter of What If? There are a few things I'd like to address. First, thanks to everyone who favorites this, reads this, reviews to this, and enjoys this. It means a lot that so many people like reading my work. Next, in this fic, the Chunin Exams are yearly, not twice a year. Also, I kept Naruto and Sasuke away for a just a year to keep them from getting behind in rank. You'll notice Sasuke and Naruto are a little out of character. That's because they've gotten much closer during the year of training. They know some new Jutsu, and some of them, you might recognize. Naruto can't perform the Wind Style: Rasengan yet, because he hasn't perfected it. Sasuke can use the Chidori Current, because he advanced. That's not to say Naruto didn't. He's more battle-smart, and more capable a fighter. And lastly, Sakura. I'm not gonna write a fic where Sakura get's bashed all the time, and I'm not gonna leave her useless. She's gonna be WAY more likeable in here. So, Read and Review, and we'll see you next time with Iwagakure, the Stone Ninja's, and the Chunin Exams. Ja Nae.<strong>


	4. Iwagakure and the Chunin Exams Part 1

**What If**

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><p><strong>By: DisasterMaster445<strong>

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><p><strong>In the last chapter Naruto and Sasuke came back from their training trip. The two of them met up with Sakura, and they discover that even though they weren't together, their teamwork was better than ever. After seeing that teamwork, Kakashi decided to have his team take the Chunin Exams once more. With the other teams already en route, Team Seven left at the end of the chapter. This chapter will focus about a week later. A little hint, check Narutopedia, and look up Kajika, Team Kajika, Ichi, Ni, and San.<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Iwagakure and the Chunin Exams (Part I)<strong>

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><p>In the mountainous region of the Land of Earth, nestled between the peaks of a ring of the rocky peaks, was the Village Hidden in the Stone. All the buildings were hewn from the rocks found in the mountains. The tallest building was a tall spire, with a pointed roof. The village also had the natural defense of being surrounded by the mountains. The only way into the village was a path through the rocks, only wide enough for three people at one time…<p>

* * *

><p>Three ninja were using that very path to get into the village. They were signified as Stone nin by the emblem on their headbands. The two on the outside were supporting the one in the middle. The boy in the middle had deep blue eyes and brown hair, swept into spikes that flowed backward because of his headband. Said headband wasn't like most headbands. The cloth was orange, with a green starburst shape outlining the metal plate in the center. He wore a baggy, black, one-piece jumpsuit. The bottoms of the legs were purple, along with the edges of the pockets, the collar, the kunai case on his right leg, and the fingerless gloves on his hands. Over that, he wore a collarless shirt that matched his headband. The chest, sides, and the tops of the arms were orange, and the middle and the bottoms of the arms were green. His shinobi sandals were black. He was limp in the arms of his companions. The jacket had a large bloodstain on the front.<p>

"Damn it, Yuzaga! The first mission Roshi-Sensei let us take by ourselves, and you go and overdo it!" The speaker was the other boy, on the right. He was a redhead, but it fell free, not inhibited by a headband. It hung in his face, covering his dark eyes. His upper body was hidden by a black bubble coat, that somehow managed to make him look intimidating. Regular shinobi pants led to blue shinobi sandals.

"Jikai, now isn't the time! We've got to get him back into the village!" The voice that spoke up was decidedly female. She had brown hair and blue eyes, like the first, but they were far from related. She wore her headband around her neck. A pair of black one-piece tights served as her regular clothes. The sleeves were long, but the tights ended at the knees. Over, she wore a black denim skirt, and a blue denim jacket. Her shinobi sandals were also blue.

"Shut up Nicolette. Let's stop for a minute." The one in the middle, Yuzaga, commanded. He was obviously the leader. The three of them stopped, and the lead ninja was placed gently on a flat rock.

"You know I hate being called that." The girl answered. "Nickel, I thought you just told me this wasn't the time." Jikai commented. This started an argument between the two of them. Yuzaga rolled his eyes. This was common.

"Will you two _shut the hell up?_" The two looked to the strangely dressed ninja. "Jeez." After a few minutes of silence, Yuzaga struggled back to his feet. "Let's keep going." He held out his arms. With a sigh of exasperation, his two friends took up their places and the three began racing back toward the village.

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><p>A single man stood at the gates waiting for them to get back. The man had a red beard and his hair was pulled into a spiky ponytail above his head. They were the same shade as Jikai's He was wearing a large brown headpiece shaped like a three pointed crown, with both his Iwagakure forehead protector and a ring. There was a prominent piece of black armor running across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He was dressed in a long-sleeved purple shirt and pants, with a mesh-armor shirt underneath, and a brown chest-piece. He also had a bag tied on his waist, most likely containing ninja tools.<p>

The three appeared at the gates, and his eyes widened at the bloodstain on his best student…and his nephew. "I'd ask how the mission went, but I can see for myself."

"Calm down uncle." Yuzaga said. "It's only a flesh wound." He grinned weakly. "Damn it, I told you. On missions it's Roshi-Sensei." He turned to Jikai. "What happened?"

"Father, it's the same as every other mission. He overexerted himself, and got himself injured." Roshi got a tic-mark on his chin. "Roshi-Sensei." He corrected his son.

"Roshi-Sensei, tell Yuzaga he needs to go to the hospital!" Nickel pleaded. "No." The injured nin managed. "I'm meant to be there."

* * *

><p>In the Tsuchikage's office, the wise Onoki, the Fence-Sitter and the Sandaime Tsuchikage was finishing some paperwork when his door was opened. Roshi and his students walked in. Yuzaga was being supported by Jikai and Nickel. Onoki stood.<p>

"What's happened?" The Genin glared. "I'm _fine_ Grandpa!"

* * *

><p>"Well team, this is the Hidden Stone Village." Kakashi gestured grandly at the village. "We've got to report to the Chunin Exams area. It's in the hospital."<p>

* * *

><p>"Yuzaga, I can't have you fighting until you can't anymore out on the battlefield. You're in training to be my successor, the Yondaime Tsuchikage!" "Gramps, if I can't give my all in my missions, I shouldn't even be <em>on<em> them!" Yuzaga argued.

"Calm down! Talk to the Tsuchikage with respect!" "Shut up son." Onoki commanded Roshi. He turned back to his grandson. "Damn it boy, this was supposed to be a mission to test your leadership skills, and to prepare you for the Chunin Exams! Now, I'm not sure if I should let you take them."

"I'm _taking_ the Exams, grandpa. I won't be deterred." Yuzaga vowed.

* * *

><p>"There you go Lord Yuzaga. You're all patched up and ready to go." The doctor said. Jikai had brought his cousin a clean set of his trademarked clothing and the three Stone Genin made their way down to the lobby, where the Chunin Exams registration was taking place. The Exams were getting ready to start.<p>

* * *

><p>"Line up!" Cried the first proctor. Naruto was sure the man had a name, but he hadn't listened when he said it. He was sizing up the competition, just like Jiraiya taught him. There were three Stone nin that walked in almost before time was up. The one in the middle had a higher than average chakra signature. The old Naruto wouldn't have picked up on it, but that Naruto had gone through rigorous, intensive training to be able to recognize chakras. The boy was interesting. There were other teams too of course. All four Leaf Genin teams were here, ready to take the exams again. There were, all in all, about a hundred different teams present. After all, this was the first year in a long time that the villages of Stone, Mist, and Cloud had been allowed in the Exams. Mist had two teams, but Cloud and Stone only had one.<p>

Naruto was lined up in the front of his team. Sakura was behind him, with Sasuke taking up the rear. The team in front of them was Shikamaru's team, and behind them was Kiba's. Neji's team was further back in the line, right in front of the team from Stone. Now that Naruto thought, there was another dangerous chakra here. A familiar chakra. He flicked his eyes toward the door, and gaped. It was the redheaded Sand ninja Gaara!

However, Naruto couldn't worry about the homicidal Sand nin now. They were all being told something important about the test.

"Alright. There are way too many teams here for us to deal with. So, one member of each team needs to step up here. We're going to do a little chakra test. This will test how much chakra you have. You have to have a certain amount to pass." The proctor said sadistically. Naruto looked to Sasuke, who nodded. The blond stepped out of line, with one hundred other Genin. Choji, Shino, and Neji also stepped up for the Leaf, all of them having high levels of chakra from being born into higher clans. From the Sand it was obviously Gaara that approached the front. The redhead from the Stone team also came forward.

* * *

><p>"Alright! Any teams that didn't pass the chakra test, leave. You aren't taking this test." Shockingly, every team but eight left with a roar of grumbling and shuffling footsteps. There were a few teams that tried to fight the verdict, but they were forcibly reminded that they were up against Jonin.<p>

All four Leaf teams managed to make it through, along with Gaara's team, the Stone team, and the two Mist teams.

"Now! Back in line!" Naruto was first in line this time, with all the other teams lined up behind Team Seven. The proctor issued the next set of instructions.

"For this second part of the Exams, we'll have a mini-tournament. The chakra test was the first test of the Exams, and now this will be the second. Only half of you will go on to the finals, a month from now."

* * *

><p>They were led into a bare room, with a fighting ring as the floor. There were balconies for the others to watch from. It was exactly like the room the teams were in last year, in Konoha. The computer screen was already revealed, showing the first two combatants.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Yuzaga Hokori vs. San<strong>

* * *

><p>The Stone nin smirked. He was first. He leapt down and was greeted by his opponent. San was one of the Mist nin. He was tall and thin, wearing a black body suit. A grey cloak was draped over his left shoulder, and his brown hair was swept over his ear on the right side of his head.<p>

"Are both combatants ready?" The proctor asked. Yuzaga kept smirking as he gave a nod. The Mist nin's face was expressionless, but he nodded too. The proctor disappeared, and a buzzer sounded. Hidden microphones blared a message.

"_This will be an anything goes, no time-limit fight. The match is over when one fighter concedes, or is killed. Begin!"_ San moved quickly, making some seals, and biting his thumb.

"Summoning Jutsu!" He cried out, slamming his hands on the ground. In no time flat he was high in the air, riding a huge bird summon. The bird had a red mask over its beak and face, and the body was shaped like a manta ray.

"Now! Wind Style: Wind Stream Gust!" The bird opened its mouth, and a stream of air shot out, making a sound like a sword cutting through the sky. Yuzaga didn't dodge. He just lifted his hands in the Tiger seal.

"Fire Style: Inferno!" He brought his hands apart like he was holding a ball between them. Flames crackled to life, filling the space. As the air touched the sphere, dark red flames rushed upwards, the air making a fuse, straight back to San and his summon.

"Adding Fire to Wind makes my Fire more powerful!" Yuzaga declared as San barely made his bird dodge. "Fine!" San cried, making another seal. Black feathers sprouted from everywhere on the bird's body. They all shifted, till it looked like they were pointing straight at the Stone nin. They were. At San's next sign they fired at once, making a black wall of death that flew straight at his opponent.

Yuzaga began a complex series of movements to begin dodging, but there were too many. _"I need a defensive jutsu."_ He thought. He made the Monkey seal. "Wind Style: Updraft!" He pointed his hands down. Wind burst from his open hands, shooting him high into the air above the feathers. He looked visibly fatigued by using two natures so closely in conjunction. He kept the jutsu going for as long as he could, charging at the bird.

"Eat him!" San commanded. Small jet ports opened up on the bird's body, and it shot forward, much faster than it had been before. Its beak snapped open under the mask. At the last possible second, Yuzaga angled his palms down toward the floor. He was launched a few feet higher, over the bird's beak. He landed, canceling the jutsu, and charged forward. San didn't move for some reason. It became apparent as the Stone nin landed a powerful left-handed punch, knocking San from his perch. As soon as it came out of contact with its summoner, the bird burst apart into smoke. Both ninja dropped toward the ground. Yuzaga opened his hands again, slowing his fall to land on his feet while San crashed into the ground with a crunch. Yuzaga panted hard, but set his hands in the Snake seal.

"Earth Style:" His voice was shaky, but he completed the jutsu. The assembled audience gaped at the attempt of using a third nature. "Burial Jutsu!" He stomped the ground. "Grave!" The heavy tiles underneath San pulled up like they were on hinges, sending him into the air. When he landed he fell into a hole where the dirt had disappeared.

Yuzaga slid his foot across the ground, stumbling a little. "Cover!" He cried, recovering his balance. Sweat glistened across his face as he struggled to complete the three-part jutsu. The tiles dropped back down, covering the hole. The Stone nin finally dropped his hands from the Snake seal.

"Rest in peace, San of the Mist." He snapped his fingers, and the two tiles shuddered violently. He'd made all the earth that disappeared during the Grave part of the jutsu cover the Mist nin, burying him alive and crushing his body.

The proctor jumped back to the floor. "Due to the death of San, the winner is Yuzaga Hokori!" The fighter smirked again before his eyes rolled up in his head and he dropped to the floor. The medics were getting ready to collect him when Nickel grabbed him, telling the guards he'd be ok after a little rest.

* * *

><p>On the balcony, Naruto looked on in amazement as the match finished. That Stone nin was powerful, just like he'd thought. That Burial Jutsu was eerily similar to Gaara's Sand Burial. But there was no time to dwell on that. The next names were about to be shown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kiba Inuzuka vs. Kankuro<strong>

* * *

><p>Kiba had won, not even having to put up much of a fight. Kankuro's two puppets, the Crow, and the newly acquired Black Ant were no match for Kiba and Akamaru's whirling claws and fangs. The puppets were shredded, and the puppeteer was distraught. The next names were put up.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Ino Yamanaka vs. Kajika<strong>

* * *

><p>Kajika won, proving to be another powerful opponent with his advanced use of the Water Style. He hammered Ino with jutsu after jutsu, not ceasing, till he almost killed her. She forfeited, but he was about to go for the kill. He almost sank his shark-like teeth into her neck when Asuma came to the rescue. He leapt in the way, and got a bite on the shoulder as a reward. He punched Kajika in the face, knocking the boy away, and told Ino he was proud of how far she'd come in her training. The next names were revealed.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto Uzumaki vs. Choji Akimichi<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto and Choji jumped to the floor and stood opposite each other. Both were excited for their turn to fight. The proctor jumped out of the ring again, and Choji began to speak to his opponent.<p>

"I hope you do well Naruto. I'm not the weakest link in the Rookie Twelve anymore. I've gotten stronger. You'll have to come at me with everything!" Choji declared as the proctor started the match.

"Expansion Jutsu: Human Boulder!" Choji swelled, tucking his head and his limbs into his body. He took off, the attack much faster than it used to be. Naruto leapt up, thinking to fly over it, but Choji bounced and shrank till he was the size of a basketball. His speed and force were increased exponentially, and he slammed into Naruto's chest. The blond ninja hit the floor, breathless. Choji transformed back to normal.

"I discovered that after I expanded my body, I could control how big my boulder form is. I also found out that my abilities change depending on how big I am." Naruto stood, managing to look impressed despite the gaping eyes and the wheezing.

"That's good Choji. 'Learning new ways to use your moves is apart of adapting to battle.' That's what Pervy Sage taught me. Let me show you how I used that information!" He made two clones. The clones began shelling out chakra into his hands, and two Rasengan formed. Then the clones lifted them from the original, and charged at Choji.

"That's not much different!" Choji cried as he began dodging. "That's just the distraction!" Another clone appeared and started giving chakra for another Rasengan. The original placed his other hand on the sphere of chakra and it started to expand. The clone held the chakra steady as the two began to run.

"Prepare for _this_! Giant Rasengan!" Choji saw the attack coming, and stopped. Both clones started after him from the sides as Choji started to channel his chakra. Just as the two clones got close, the Akimichi exploded with power, and the clones just exploded. The pair of Rasengan began to disperse, and the chakra all flowed to Choji, where a huge pair of chakra wings had formed.

"I've prepared." Choji said with a smirk. He caught the Giant Rasengan with his left hand, stopping Naruto in his tracks. The attack started to break up, the chakra dispersing into the air and being drawn into Choji's wings, making them bigger. Most of the chakra, however, focused itself onto his right hand.

"Cho Bomber!" (1) With him gripping Naruto's hand, preventing escape, Choji drove his chakra covered fist into Naruto's face, blowing him back. Naruto hit the wall, and some rubble dropped onto him. A quick burst of red chakra and Naruto was back on his feet, without so much as a bruise on his face. Choji gripped his chest in pain. Ino looked down in shock.

"Choji! Are you alright?" The brown-haired boy shook it off, and got ready to continue the fight. He made a few hand seals and the chakra reseeded into his body.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu: Arms!" His arms stretched and grew until he could slap Naruto around. The blond boy hit the walls, the ceiling, and everywhere else until finally Choji let the other Leaf nin fall. Naruto crawled back up.

"Give up Naruto. You're taking a beating." Naruto's eyes opened wider, slitted and red. "Give up…" Six clones burst into existence. "On me giving up!" Three Rasengan toting Naruto's dashed in. Choji got ready, but three more clones slid up behind him.

"Na!" "Ru!" "To!" Each kicked, sending the Akimichi into the air. He made a few more seals, but was cut off before he got the chance. The three with the Rasengan struck.

"Ra!" "Sen!" "Gan!" The three weak spiral spheres spun Choji higher into the air. Naruto leapt up, spun, and dropped his heel on Choji's stomach. "Barrage!" Naruto had curbed his blows, but he still hit him hard enough to end the fight there.

"Due to Choji Akimichi being knocked out, the winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

* * *

><p><strong>Neji Hyuga vs. Temari<strong>

* * *

><p>The match started off well for Temari. Neji couldn't get close. After ten minutes of trying and failing, he took a new approach. He used his improved version of the Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation, and it finished the battle for him.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Sasuke Uchiha vs. Ni<strong>

* * *

><p>Sasuke stepped down to meet his opponent. She didn't look like any Genin he'd ever seen before. Ni had long brown hair that spiraled down past her hips. She wore a red body suit that showed off a lot of her pale skin, and that didn't actually cover much. She carried a whip, and Sasuke was a little wary of how well she could use it. She had three purple stripes on her cheek.<p>

"Time to begin." The proctor decided. Ni wasted no time, snapping her whip and hoping to ensnare the Uchiha. Sasuke dodged by leaping to the side, but she snapped the leather weapon again, catching his ankle.

"You're pretty cute, for a Leaf nin." She laughed before leaning in and whispering to him. "I think I'll keep you instead of letting Lord Orochimaru having you." Sasuke's eyes widened and automatically slid into the Sharingan.

"I don't see that happening!" He cried forming some rapid seals. "Lightning Style: Chidori Current!" The sparks burst to life all across his body, traveled up through the whip, and coursed through Ni's body, throwing her back. Sasuke untangled the sizzling whip from his ankle and brandished it with a look of disgust.

"Bitch." Before he could turn to see if she was getting back up, he was swarmed by a pack of summoned dogs. They had dark blue fur, and looked more like wolves than dogs. But, the really scary attribute was the white, skeletal armor and the projectile launchers on their shoulders. There were six of them. Sasuke managed to leap back, but the lead wolf, about twice as large as the others, howled a call that made the spectators cringe, and all five other dogs launched themselves. Sasuke threw down the whip, grabbed his kusanagi, and started dodging while he channeled chakra.

The dogs were almost upon him when he was finally ready. "Fire Style: Kusanagi!" The blade lit up in bright crackling flames, and Sasuke started slashing out at the wolves as they got close. The wolves were fast, and Sasuke only managed to take out two of them, leaving four including the leader. Sasuke didn't have enough chakra to keep the Fire Style: Kusanagi going indefinitely, so he cancelled the jutsu, and started weaving more signs.

"Summoning Jutsu: Eight Ninja Hounds!" Smoke burst out all over him, and suddenly he was standing in the middle of Kakashi's summons. Pakkun looked up at him. "Whaddaya need Sasuke?" The Uchiha nodded in the direction of the wolves, who had regrouped around the leader.

"We've got this." The small pug declared as all eight leapt into action, each wolf going against two Ninja Hounds. It wasn't long before all the wolves were gone, except the leader. He crouched down and shot the projectiles from his shoulder, taking Pakkun and Bull out of the fight.

"Everyone! Get 'em" Another of the dogs cried. All six of them rushed the much bigger dog. The dog couldn't keep up with all six, and soon it dispersed.

"Well, if that's all you needed…" One dog began. "Summoning Jutsu: Lion-Turtle!" A bigger explosion of smoke hid Ni. When the smoke cleared, a giant lion stood in Ni's place. It had an orange mask for a face, and a green mane spread out behind it. Its body was brown, but it was covered in the same bony white armor as the dogs were. The top piece of armor was spiked, like an offensive turtle shell. Ni rose out of the lion's forehead from the waist up.

"Defeat me now!" The Mist nin cried. The lion roared and the Ninja Hounds poofed away, leaving Sasuke alone and looking worried for the first time during the whole fight. Ni had managed to pick up her whip, and used his moment of confusion to send it flying at him once more. It wrapped around his wrists, binding them together. Sasuke was still able to make some seals, and he grabbed onto the whip between his hands.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!" He unleashed the flames from his mouth and they traveled up the whip, destroying it in the process. The flames hit her and she started to scream. The lion started moving, but it was very slow. Those flames had washed over the turtle's shell, cracking it and leaving it brittle. Sasuke made his move. He leapt up and began a series of attacks. He jumped back and ran forward again, leaping to the side of the beast and striking out with his foot.

"Vertical Lion's Barrage!" His foot connected solidly with Ni's exposed face, and there was a sickening crack as her neck snapped. The Lion-Turtle disappeared.

"Winner: Sasuke Uchiha!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'll stop there for now. Six more matches to come next chapter. With half the competition out of the way, there are only twelve more combatants left. Who will make it to the next round to fight it out for a group of spectators for the chance to become Chunin? What do the Mist nin have to do with Orochimaru? You'll have to wait to find out. Please, take the time to review and give me a little feedback. It's important for a writer to get some every now and then. Even if you've got nothing good to say, you do have <strong>_**something**_** to say. I want to hear it.**

**(1) In Path of the Ninja II Choji's final move he learns on level up is called Butterfly Bombing. It's the move he uses against Jirobo in the anime. That sounds really girly, so I changed it to Cho Bomber. Cho means Butterfly, so I didn't really alter the move. He can use it without the pills now because of his training. **


	5. Iwagakure and the Chunin Exams Part 2

**What If**

* * *

><p><strong>By: DisasterMaster445<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Last chapter saw the beginning of the Chunin Exams. Six matches have passed, and Yuzaga the Stone nin, Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Kajika, and Neji have passed into the next round. This chapter begins where the last one left off, right after Sasuke's fight. Also, Shikamaru is NOT Chunin here. I know he's described as wearing a Chunin vest in last chapter, but he hasn't been promoted yet, and WILL be part of the Exams. Favorite character FTW!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: Iwagakure and the Chunin Exams (Part 2)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Sakura Haruno vs. Hinata Hyuga<strong>

* * *

><p>The two kunoichi met on the floor. Neither looked happy to be fighting another Leaf nin. Sakura spoke up first. "Good luck Hinata." The Hyuga looked startled before slipping into her stance. "Th-Thank you Sakura." The battle began.<p>

"Cha!" Sakura ran at the Hyuga heiress, her hands alight with chakra. Hinata was about to make an attack as well, but her head felt funny. The blossoms on Sakura's kimono-shirt were pulling from the fabric, creating a smokescreen. Normally, Hinata could see through such a thing, but the sickly sweet sent of the cherry blossoms dulled her senses, and her normally sharp Byakugan wasn't working.

Sakura's chakra powered punch knocked the Hyuga to the ground. "This is my special Genjutsu. I've been working on it for some time. It uses cherry blossoms to distract my opponent. By using chakra I can enhance the attributes of the blossoms to affect other senses." Hinata could feel the truth in Sakura's words. She was unable to defend against the last attack, and she couldn't use her eyes. She stood back up.

"Y-your Genjutsu can't affect m-my ears Sakura." Hinata declared. Sakura rushed in again, about to attack, when the blue-haired Hyuga made her move. One simple seal and her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation!" She spun round, expelling energy from her chakra points. The spinning barrier repelled Sakura, sending her flying back from the Hyuga. Sakura crashed into the wall.

"Is that how you plan on beating me?" Sakura asked as she picked herself off the ground. She brushed stone chips from her shirt. "Listening for me and knocking me away whenever I get close?" She made another seal. "I'll get your ears too then. Earth Style: Shattered Ground!" She punched the ground and the large, heavy tiles began to crack and shatter. Hinata was thrown into the air, and Sakura made quick use of the opening. She hit Hinata with another punch, using an ability she learned from Tsunade. She used an electrical impulse to boost the nerves in Hinata's ears, making them super-sharp. Not in a good way.

Hinata hit the ground, pieces of tile dropping all around her. Even the smallest pieces sounded like cannon balls peppering the floor beside her. "Now you'll never be able to hear me coming." Sakura boasted. Her voice pounded Hinata's eardrums relentlessly. She tried to rise, but even the sounds of her sandals scraping against the rubble was near unbearable. She slid back to the floor.

"Hinata? I didn't get you that bad, did I?" Sakura came up, footsteps echoing in the Hyuga girl's head. She put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Do you want to give up?" Sakura was so close that even those whispered words sent a burst of static across her vision. In her mind's eye, the only eye working right at the moment, she saw the blond object of her affections. She remembered his last words in his fight against Choji.

Her own words making her cringe, she whispered back, without a stutter, "Give up on me giving up." She spun from her seat, sending up the dome of chakra her clan was famous for. The sounds of the chakra whirling around her made her sicker and sicker, until she passed out. The chakra stopped flowing. She could only hope Sakura had been knocked out too.

* * *

><p>The proctor was about to call the match when Sakura crawled up to her knees, shifting rubble off of her. She saw Hinata laid out on the floor and she looked at the proctor.<p>

"Sakura Haruno wins!"

* * *

><p><strong>Rock Lee vs. Same (Sa-may)<strong>

* * *

><p>Same was one of Kajika's teammates. He was a burly Mist nin, wearing the same scale-patterned shirt as Kajika. His shark mask was dark blue, and he had a scarf covering the lower part of his face. He had a large black shuriken strapped to his back. The Mist nin was much too slow and Lee ran circles around him. He was defeated without much effort. Before being carried off the floor on a stretcher, he sent a knowing look up at Kajika on the balcony.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nicolette Ai vs. Ichi<strong>

* * *

><p>The Stone kunoichi was strong. There was no doubt about that. But Ichi was determined. He had two losses on his team to make up for, and he fought tooth-and-nail against the petite girl. She wasn't doing well. Her teammate, Yuzaga, who defeated Ichi's twin San, woke up in the middle of the fight and watched her be beaten. He showed no emotion throughout, but when she was defeated he flashed down and picked her up gingerly before taking her to the medics himself. Ichi sent an unseen smirk to Kajika.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Gaara vs. Tenten<strong>

* * *

><p>In the battle with the sand-wielding demon, Tenten really stood no chance. Lee and Naruto were the only ninja to ever get through his Absolute Defense, and even though Tenten was stronger than she'd been a year ago, she wasn't near the level of her fellow Leaf nin. Tenten lost.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Shikamaru Nara vs. Pirania<strong>

* * *

><p>Pirania was the last member of Team Kajika to fight. She wore the same scale print shirt as her teammates. She had a purple scarf that covered the lower part of her face. Her brown hair was swept back in a ponytail that fanned out wide behind her head.<p>

Shikamaru grumbled at his luck of fighting a girl for two years in a row. He unzipped his father's old Chunin vest and tossed it to Asuma before dropping down to the floor. Utilizing a few new Shadow Jutsu, the Nara heir defeated Pirania without much trouble at all. He hadn't even really broken a sweat.

* * *

><p><strong>Final Match: Jikai Hokori vs. Shino Aburame<strong>

* * *

><p>The last match started well for Shino. He made all the right moves, being cautious because of not knowing what his opponent could do. The Stone nin was almost as cool and level-headed in battle as he was. Jikai made no moves without thinking, and it took a lot of tactics to box the redhead in. When that happened, Shino gave Jikai a very simple choice. Give up, or have the bugs set upon him. Jikai's answer was to use a Fire Jutsu to burn away at the insects on all sides. Shino called his remaining bugs back to him, and was forced to forfeit himself.<p>

* * *

><p>"Alright. The twelve of you that won, line up here." Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Lee, Kiba, Shikamaru, Gaara, Yuzaga, Jikai, Kajika, and Ichi stood together in front of the proctor.<p>

"We're gonna draw names for your opponents in the next round." The proctor informed. "Your names have all been written on scraps of paper. You each draw one, and that's your opponent. No objections. You'll meet here a month from now, and battle under the watchful eyes of your village leaders and spectators from the other villages."

There were nerves all around, except for the two on the end, who looked smug. The names were passed and the lineup was as follows:

"Sasuke Uchiha vs. Kiba Inuzuka."

"Shikamaru Nara vs. Yuzaga Hokori."

"Sakura Haruno vs. Ichi."

"Kajika vs. Neji Hyuga."

"Naruto Uzumaki vs. Rock Lee."

"Jikai Hokori vs. Gaara."

* * *

><p>After picking names, the Tsuchikage came down to the floor. He'd been watching. "I'd like to take this time to congratulate the winners. Let me tell you: In one month, you'll be showing off your skills for dignitaries from the other Hidden Villages, and for your own village. These Exams were started after the Wars ended. They were to be meant as a substitute. You're going to be showing your battle skills, and the skills of your Village, to the world."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>With Sasuke and Kakashi<strong>

* * *

><p>"We've got a lot of training to do Sasuke." Kakashi declared. "You're fighting Kiba in the next round. His combo Jutsu with Akamaru are dangerous. But I have a plan. You've already mastered summoning the Eight Ninja Hounds. Now, we're going to pair you up with your own. After that, we'll start training with combo attacks." Sasuke nodded. "Let's do this."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>With Naruto and Jiraiya<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're facing Lee." Jiraiya said. Naruto nodded in assent. "Lee excels at speed and Taijutsu. Normally for a Taijutsu user, most experienced ninja would suggest Genjutsu. However, neither of us have a talent for that. We're going to work on speed. From those tree-climbing and water-walking exercises you already know how to channel chakra to a part of your body. What I'm about to show you is really just taking it a step farther."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>With Sakura and Tsunade<strong>

* * *

><p>"No one really saw what that Ichi guy can do. How do I prepare for it, my Lady?" Sakura asked. "We just have to prepare for every possible outcome. What we'll do first is sharpen your Medical Ninjutsu." Sakura saluted. "Milady!"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>With Jikai and Roshi<strong>

* * *

><p>"Jikai, I've been training you for sometime to be able to control what you have inside you." Roshi began. "I know father." "I've also trained you to recognize others of your kind. Did you notice?" Jikai pondered for a moment.<p>

"The redhead that fought with sand, and the blond boy with the clones." Roshi nodded approvingly. "Can you tell by the chakra? Who were they?" Roshi pressured. Jikai looked at his father, exasperated. "The only thing I can tell is that the Sand nin can't be higher than Two-Tails, and the Leaf nin isn't less than Seven." Roshi looked troubled.

"It's a start. We're going to work on your control."

* * *

><p><strong>With Yuzaga and the Tsuchikage<strong>

* * *

><p>"I dunno about this Gramps. It was all I could do to use all three natures in that fight. I passed out. I'm not ready for the Dust Style." "Nonsense. You'll do fine. You know why? Because you're <em>my<em> grandson." The Tsuchikage boasted.

"Gramps…that has nothing to do with this. The Dust Style isn't a Kekkei Genkai. You learned it from Lord Mu." Onoki glared at his apprentice. "You can do this Yuzaga. I believe in you. The village's future rests with you." "No pressure, right?" The colorful Stone nin sweat-dropped.

* * *

><p><strong>With Gaara<strong>

* * *

><p>Gaara was contemplating. It had been a long time since he'd had a psychotic episode, and it was all thanks to Naruto Uzumaki. He wasn't sure how he'd react to seeing the blond Leaf nin, but he was overtaken by an urge to fight the boy. Not like his urges from before. More like an urge to show the Uzumaki how far he'd progressed.<p>

"Kankuro." He called. The puppeteer walked into the room. He'd been working on his puppets, trying to put them back together. His war-paint had been washed off, and his hands were scratched and covered in splinters.

"What's up Gaara?" The paint-wearing nin was much more comfortable around his baby brother. Now that Gaara wasn't trying to kill anyone within ten feet of him every five minutes, they were actually getting along really well.

"Find Temari and help me train." Kankuro smirked. Gaara still hadn't figured out the difference between a request and a demand, but he was making progress.

"Sure bro."

* * *

><p><strong>With Lee and Guy<strong>

* * *

><p>"Let's go Lee! Let your youth shine!" Guy called out. The two of them were currently standing on their hands in the path leading to the village. They were leaping from rock to rock.<p>

"Guy-Sensei! If I cannot make it from the beginning of this path to the end 50 times, I will punch the cliff 100 times! If I cannot punch the cliff 100 times, I will-" One of Lee's hands slipped and he crashed his head into the rocks. He popped up quickly, looking only a little dazed.

"….It's alright Lee! I will attack the cliffs with you!"

* * *

><p><strong>With Neji and Hinata<strong>

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><p>"Thank you for training with me Lady Hinata." Neji bowed. Hinata looked mortified. "N-Neji, you don't have to b-bow to me." Neji looked up and nodded. "Yes Lady Hinata."<p>

"L-let's start." The two squared off, each in the stance of the Hyuga clan, but both in their own unique stance. Neji crouched low to the ground, with Hinata standing, arms out.

"Tenten, be our referee?" Neji asked. The weapon-wielding girl nodded and leapt to her feet. "Begin!" Both Hyuga moved in with the Gentle Fist.

* * *

><p><strong>With Kiba and Shino<strong>

* * *

><p>"Thanks for agreeing to help with our training Shino." Kiba remarked. Akamaru barked in agreement. "It's no problem." The more quiet boy said.<p>

"That's not true Shino. You could be trying to breed your bugs back to stock." "It's fine." Shino said. "They are already breeding. I should have all my bugs back within the week." Kiba looked puzzled. "Shino, you lost thousands of bugs. You're telling me you can get all of them bred back in a week, without doing anything?" Shino nodded. "….Bugs are creepy."

* * *

><p><strong>With Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji<strong>

* * *

><p>"C'mon Shikamaru! You've <em>gotta<em> train! You face that Stone nin in the first round! You saw how strong he was. He can use _three_ chakra natures!" Ino was trying to motivate her lazy shadow-wielding teammate that he needed to prepare for the Exams. What she'd yet to realize was that yelling wasn't a good motivator where Shikamaru was concerned.

"Ino, I don't need to train. I _need_ you to quit screaming at me. I get enough of that from my mom." Shikamaru complained. "He's right Ino. Yelling doesn't solve anything." Choji piped up. "Shut up Choji." Ino commanded. She turned back to Shikamaru.

"You have to train because that Yuzaga guy is strong. You know, I think Asuma-Sensei said he's the Tsuchikage's grandson. You can't go up against someone like that without preparing."

"Calm down Ino. It was a real drag, but before we left the village, my dad taught me a couple of new Shadow Jutsu."

* * *

><p><strong>With Ichi and Kajika<strong>

* * *

><p>"And that's what happened Lord Orochimaru. He 'killed' Ni without any trouble. Without thinking." Ichi reported. Kajika had used a jutsu to transform a puddle of water he poured form his canteen into a looking glass. Both ninja were speaking directly to their lord. They had changed headbands from Mist to Sound.<p>

"Very good. Sasuke's coming along nicely." The Snake-Sannin's voice hissed with laughter. His face was in shadow. "Now. Let's go over the plan one more time." The two 'Mist' nin shared a smirk as they recounted their part of the plan to their master.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Sound Village<strong>

* * *

><p>"Lord Orochimaru, are you sure this is wise? Attacking during the Chunin Exams for the second year in a row?" Kabuto would follow Orochimaru with everything he had, but he had to admit, this was nearing madness.<p>

"Don't worry Kabuto. This is all apart of the plan to capture Sasuke." The man's snake eyes glimmered in the shadow while his fangs gleamed in a deadly smirk. "I don't doubt that Kajika and Ichi will fail, but they will open the opportunity for me to move in."

* * *

><p><strong>One Month Later<strong>

* * *

><p>The same proctor from the preliminary fights stood before the twelve Genin that were about to participate in the fights to come. The stands were steadily filling with spectators, and the three Kage from the participating Hidden Villages were also in attendance. The old man Tsuchikage, the slightly younger Hokage, and the extremely young Mizukage, Yagura. Onoki stepped forward to speak.<p>

"Spectators! Welcome to Iwagakure for the annual Chunin Exams! I hope your journeys find you well, and that you're ready to watch these twelve Genin fight for the honor of their Villages!" The Tsuchikage stepped back and took his seat between the other two Kage.

"Yagura, I'm glad to see you here. I was of the impression you were getting sicker. You don't need me to look you over, do you?" Tsunade asked. The boyish Kage shook his head.

"No thank-you Princess Tsunade. I'm feeling much better." Yagura smirked, crinkling his pink eyes and making the scar stretched over his face quiver. Tsunade felt troubled. She didn't know what, but she felt something amiss. However, she had no reason to suspect Yagura. She'd never met him…

* * *

><p>"It's time for the first match!" The proctor called. "Sasuke Uchiha and Kiba Inuzuka step forward! Everyone else, make your way to the competitor's box!"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I'll end the chapter there. We've seen in this chapter that Orochimaru is up to old tricks. We also see just what sets Jikai Hokori apart from the rest of the Stone nin, and why he's been paired with the next Tsuchikage. Jikai holds a Tailed Beast inside him. In the Naruto Shippuden storyline, Roshi: Jikai's father, is the host of Son Goku, the Four-Tailed Demon Gorilla. In my fic the role is passed to Jikai. He faces another Tailed Beast, Gaara. With Yagura present, the hosts of four of the nine Tailed Beasts are in the same arena. What will happen in the next few rounds of the Chunin Exams? Find out here, next time.<strong>


	6. Finals: First Round!

**What If**

* * *

><p><strong>By: DisasterMaster445<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>In the previous chapter we see the end of the preliminary fights and the training that the fighters went through. The final list of Genin fighting is Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Yuzaga, Jikai, Ichi, Kajika, Shikamaru, Gaara, Kiba, Neji, and Lee. At the end of the chapter Sasuke and Kiba are about to begin their fight. What's gonna happen during the Chunin Exams? We know Orochimaru is plotting an attack, but we don't have any specifics. Without further ado, let's start this. Also, Neji is wearing his outfit from Shippuden, and Lee is dressed the same as he was before.<strong>

**Chapter Six: Finals: First Round!**

* * *

><p><strong>Sasuke Uchiha vs. Kiba Inuzuka<strong>

* * *

><p>"Let's go Akamaru!" The Sheppard sized dog barked loudly. Sasuke grinned. "Everytime I see you two, I get surprised at how big Akamaru gets." Both looked to the proctor, who nodded and vanished. The crowd began to cheer and jeer, yelling for their favorite to win. Sasuke made the first move, biting his thumb before making hand seals.<p>

"Summoning Jutsu!" When the smoke cleared one of Kakashi's hounds was sitting at Sasuke's side. He was tan-colored, with brown highlights on his long ears and legs. He had a black kanji on his forehead. It was the kanji for "shinobi." He wore the standard outfit of Kakashi's Ninja Hounds, which was a blue vest with a Konoha forehead protector around his neck. The symbol on the back of the vest had been changed from Kakashi's symbol to the Uchiha crest.

"So, you've got a Nin-dog too. That's interesting. But you don't have the teamwork that Me and Akamaru do!" He barked in agreement. Sasuke smirked. "Let's show them our teamwork Biscuit." The smaller dog smirked too. "Sounds like a plan."

Kiba crouched down. "All Fours Jutsu!" His eyes slitted even further, his nails became claws, and his incisors sharpened into fangs. He laughed. "Let's end this quick, Akamaru!" He began running at Sasuke, speed far surpassing that of the Uchiha.

"Ha." Sasuke blinked hard. "Sharingan!" The two decided to begin without their dogs, each matching the other step-for-step. After a few seconds of a pure-speed battle, with neither landing any hits, Kiba jumped back before jumping forward again.

"Tunneling Fang!" He cried, spinning like a drill. Sasuke leaped deftly over the attack, but Kiba circled back. Sasuke made a few rapid seals.

"Lightning Style: Chidori Current!" Sparks burst out across his body, repelling Kiba as he got close. The other Leaf nin hit the dirt of the arena. He got back to his feet, albeit a little slower from the shock to his system.

"That was pretty good." Kiba declared. He dug a food pill out of his pouch, throwing it to Akamaru. "But it's time to get to the main event." Akamaru's fur turned red, and he leapt to Kiba's side.

"Akamaru! Man Beast Clone!" After a burst of smoke, two identically animalistic Kibas stood side-by-side. They grinned feral-ly. "Think you can keep up with me?" They asked together. They began to weave signs together.

"Whirlwind Wolf Fang!" They both whirled, throwing their claws out. As they came around, they made slashing motions, sending blades of wind at Sasuke. The Sharingan-user smiled.

"If that's the only new thing you're bringing to the table, this won't end well for you." He made some signs of his own, ending in the Tiger seal. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The huge ball of flames washed over the wind claws, continuing towards Kiba and Akamaru. The two brought their hands up together, sort of like a double high-five. They clasped them together for a second before running at the fireball. They jumped and began to spin.

"Fang Over Fang!" They cut through the fire easily, even attracting some with their whirling bodies. They became flaming drills of power, aimed at Sasuke.

"Now, Biscuit!" The smaller dog put his paws together in what must've been a seal. "Water Style: Water Wall!" He opened his mouth and water gushed out, forming an orb-shaped barrier around them.

"Ha! That won't stop us!" The two Kiba cried in tandem. They kept advancing, and Sasuke weaved more signs.

"Lightning Style: Kusanagi!" He ripped his sword from the sheath and it began to crackle with electricity. He stabbed the sword into the side of the Water Jutsu just as Kiba and Akamaru made contact. The whole area exploded into smoke, and Kiba and Akamaru were thrown clear. Sasuke and Biscuit were nowhere in sight, but two shredded logs were piled around Sasuke's Kusanagi that was stabbed into the ground in the middle of the arena.

"_Damn it. Substitution."_ Kiba thought. He looked to Akamaru. "We can smell them though." The Kiba-Clone nodded, then grinned as he picked up the scent. They whirled and started the Fang Over Fang again.

"Ready Biscuit?" Sasuke asked lowly. The Nin-dog nodded. "I'm ready when you are." The two made seals together, much like Kiba and Akamaru had before. They jumped out of the trees, where they were hiding, and began their Jutsu.

"Fire Style:" Sasuke began. "Water Style:" Biscuit echoed. "Combination Jutsu!" Sasuke threw out a hand, grabbing the dog's outstretched paw. "Chakra Mist!" They both opened their mouths, releasing a dense fog that quickly covered the field. Yells from the crowd could be heard, because of their now impaired vision.

"That isn't gonna work against us!" Kiba announced. He lifted his nose to the air, and began using his sharp senses. However, he couldn't smell anything. He couldn't see Akamaru either.

"Idiot. Didn't you hear us? 'Chakra Mist.' You can't smell through it. Neji wouldn't be able to _see_ through it. You can't find us." Sasuke taunted. Kiba smirked. "We can fix that. Akamaru!" The two of them used the Whirlwind Wolf Fang to blow the fog away, but Sasuke and Biscuit were nowhere to be found.

"Where are they?" Kiba demanded. He felt the ground shift, and he was jerked down, covered up to his neck in the dirt. After a yelp, he knew Akamaru had been gotten too. Biscuit popped out of the ground in front of him.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu." He said. Sasuke appeared, seemingly from nowhere. "Ninja Art: Camouflage." They examined the Kiba in front of them.

"I think you're the real Kiba." Sasuke decided. "What do you think, Biscuit?" The dog nodded. "It's likely." They trotted over to Akamaru. They did something Kiba didn't see, and he heard the Transformation end.

"Well what do you know? I was right." Sasuke smirked. He strolled back into Kiba's line of sight, Biscuit following obediently. "I'd suggest you give up, Kiba. You can't fool my eyes with your parlor tricks, and you can't touch me with your combinations. I'm too smart and too fast." Kiba smirked back.

"Go Akamaru!" When the Transformation ended, Akamaru's hole wasn't as tight as before. He had scrambled out. "Dynamic Marking!" The white dog jumped up, spinning. Sasuke and Biscuit jerked around just in time to get their fronts splattered with dog urine.

"Son of a bitch!" Sasuke exclaimed. His white jacket was now a putrid yellow color. Kiba laughed uproariously, as did a lot of the audience. But Biscuit was calm.

"Don't worry about it Sasuke!" He made a seal. "Water Style: Dampening Jutsu!" He shook out his fur, getting water all over the two of them, washing the urine away.

"Nice try, but that won't wash away the smell!" Kiba started to strain at the ground holding him captive. "Tunneling Fang!" He started to spin and burst up from the ground. He landed next to Akamaru.

"Nowhere to run." He declared. He made a hand seal before laying a hand on Akamaru's head. "Combination Jutsu! Man-Beast Fireburst!" Both opened their mouths and released a blast of fire similar to a blast from the Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Sasuke and Biscuit had to move apart to avoid, leaving Kiba and Akamaru to pick them off.

Kiba moved in on Sasuke with a kunai. The Uchiha moved back, systematically drawing near his Kusanagi. Kiba saw this, and used the Tunneling Fang to get behind him. He lashed out with the kunai, forcing Sasuke to abandon his quest for his sword. Kiba plucked it from the ground and threw it into the trees.

"Ah, ah, ah." Kiba smirked, wagging a finger at Sasuke. "None of that." He moved in with Taijutsu, using his higher speed to try to overwhelm the Sharingan-user. He slashed his claws at the Uchiha, who sucked in his breath, throwing himself backwards. He barely dodged the thorny fingernails.

"I love the smell of prey on the ropes, don't you Akamaru?" There was a deep yip in response, and Sasuke hazarded a hook at his partner. Biscuit was bleeding from a scratch over his left eye. The eye was closed, keeping the blood from seeping into it. He had three small scratches on his muzzle that had already stopped bleeding, and bite marks around one leg. Akamaru had a small nick in his ear, and favored one paw, keeping it gingerly off the ground. Akamaru still looked better than Biscuit.

"Biscuit, are you ok?" The dog nodded, sending droplets of blood into the dirt. Kiba laughed. "Akamaru drew first blood!" Sasuke glared at him before sliding up both sleeves. There was an identical tattoo on each wrist; a sealing tattoo. He clapped his hands onto the wrists, and drew shuriken from them with a puff of smoke.

"Shuriken Jutsu!" He jumped back, letting the shuriken fly at Kiba. He had just leapt to the side when they scattered, being manipulated by ninja wire attached around Sasuke's wrists. The Uchiha stopped beside his partner while Akamaru went to assist his.

"Not bad, Sasuke." Kiba said, dodging all the shuriken. "Sealing tattoos on your wrists. That's a pretty good idea." He looked to Akamaru. "But, I'm getting tired of this fight." He made a few seals and jumped high up into the air, his nin-dog following.

"Inuzuka Style: Man-Beast Combination Transformation: Two-Headed Wolf!" There was a blast of smoke, and a deep, powerful growling that echoed with two voices. The smoke began to clear, revealing a terrifying form. A giant twin-headed wolf pawed at the ground, acidic saliva dripping from fangs as tall as Sasuke, and glared at the Uchiha with piercing eyes as red as the Sharingan. The heads sniffed at the air.

"I can still smell you Sasuke." The heads said together in a deep raspy voice. The black lips pulled back over the man-sized fangs in an almost demonic twin smile. Huge black claws snapped out of their sheathes and the giant white wolf leapt up. The spine twisted, sending the vertebrae cracking. The giant body began to whirl just like Kiba's original attack, but much more violently. The air literally began sucking toward Kiba and Akamaru, leaving people in the audience gasping for breath. Two distorted voices sounded from within the vortex.

"Wolf Fang Over Fang!" The attack took off and rocketed toward Sasuke, drawn by the smell of Akamaru's urine. "Holy-" Sasuke began. Biscuit barreled into the Uchiha, knocking him into action. Sasuke began moving, but the attack outclassed him. Kiba and Akamaru hit Sasuke's fleeing back, and the power began to rip him apart. Kiba and Akamaru pulled back and cancelled the jutsu before Sasuke died, just leaving him unable to continue fighting.

"Haha! We did it Akamaru!" Kiba was ecstatic. The proctor landed next to the Inuzuka. Kiba looked the man in the eyes, startled to face the Sharingan. Kiba stumbled back as the world began to melt around him. Sasuke's mangled body pieced itself back together, stood, and casually began wiping blood off his face.

"That was my Genjutsu." He smirked and pulled out his Kusanagi. "I never even cast a jutsu in this fight. In reality, the fight hasn't started." He placed the blade against Kiba's neck.

"These eyes see chakra as colors. I can see you're almost on empty. You can't even get away from my blade. Give up." Kiba's slitted eyes were enraged.

"I'll never give up! Akamaru!" He called. He received a whine in response. He flicked his eyes behind the Uchiha, seeing Biscuit pinning the bigger dog to the ground, teeth fastened firmly around his neck.

"I'll say it again. Give up. _Now._" Kiba went to make a move, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. It was Kurenai.

"You did well Kiba, but this match is over. You don't have enough chakra to continue. I won't let you kill yourself." The proctor appeared. For real this time.

"I'm calling the match! Kiba Inuzuka is unable to continue! Sasuke Uchiha will move on to the next round!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yuzaga Hokori vs. Shikamaru Nara<strong>

* * *

><p>Yuzaga and Shikamaru faced off. The shadow-user had once more given his father's Chunin jacket to Ino to watch over. The Stone-nin had replaced his purple gloves with bandages that were wrapped tightly. He'd done something to his hands.<p>

"I've heard some great things about you, Leaf-nin." Yuzaga complimented. Shikamaru nodded. "Likewise. My teammate, Ino, wouldn't stop talking about how I was gonna get beaten badly by the Tsuchikage's grandson." The two shared a smile.

"Ino…" Yuzaga mulled the name over. "That's the blond, right?" Shikamaru nodded again. "Nice." He cracked his neck. "Well, Shikamaru Nara, let's start our fight!" He grabbed a kunai from his weapon pouch and launched himself at his opponent.

"I know you fight long range, so I'm gonna turn up the heat!" Shikamaru narrowly dodged each slash, barely moving back and to the sides. He flipped back, his foot connecting solidly on Yuzaga's chin. He landed in a crouch, hands falling into a familiar sign.

"Not so fast Nara! I know all about your Shadow jutsu! You won't catch-" He tried getting away. "I can't move!" He thought back. "You connected our shadows with that kick." Shikamaru smirked.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu: Success." Yuzaga began to struggle. "It's no use. This close, my shadow will keep you completely immobile." But the Stone-nin kept trying. He was steadily regaining movement, and the shadow-user had to step things up. He made another sign.

"Shadow Strangle Jutsu!" The shadows split into two 'arms' that began snaking around the Stone-nin. One wrapped his arms up, tying them behind his back. The other wrapped its fingers around Yuzaga's neck. The teen struggled to breathe. Shikamaru started to sweat, knowing the jutsu wouldn't last long. He put an extra-strong squeeze on his opponent's neck, and released the jutsu. Yuzaga dropped to the ground. He stood back up shakily, breathing hard.

"Didn't know about _that_." He declared. He coughed, and a little blood dripped form his mouth. "You really went for the kill there. I can respect that." His voice was raspy from the strain.

"That jutsu doesn't last long. It gets weaker as time goes on. But it's pretty good for a quick finish. Usually." Shikamaru smiled. Yuzaga smiled back. "I can see this is going to be interesting." He made the Snake seal.

"I think it's time for an Earth-Wind-and-Fire combo." He slammed his bandaged hands on the ground. "Earth Style: Rock Pillar!" Rock burst from the ground at Shikamaru's feet, sending him into the air as Yuzaga made the Monkey seal.

"Wind Style: Trunade!" He pulled his hands apart. A small green tornado was spinning violently between them. He rotated his hands a little, and pushed the attack forward. It hit the ground and started spinning faster at the point where Shikamaru was falling. It grew, catching the shadow-user and spinning him in the vortex. Finally, the Stone-nin formed the Tiger seal.

"Fire Style: Inferno!" He brought his hands apart again, a ball of flames crackling to life. He casually threw the ball at the base of the winds, causing the tornado to explode into a flaming corona of death. This time, the use of three natures seemed not to bother Yuzaga.

"And I think the victory goes to me." He was about to turn, but found himself immobilized once more. "You forgot one of the main skills a ninja has. _Escape._" Shikamaru allowed the Stone-nin to slap his face in embarrassment.

"Substitution. Of course." "Yeah. It's a real drag to be fighting someone who doesn't think as far ahead as I do." Yuzaga could hear the smirk in his voice. "You know," The Stone-nin started, "Even though you have me immobile, you shouldn't be so confident." Shikamaru laughed.

"It's not confidence. I'm convinced." "No, it's actually arrogance." Yuzaga smirked. Shikamaru was confused. "What do you mean?" Yuzaga exerted force on the shadows; enough to drop something from his hand. It was a small sphere wrapped in paper, with the kanji for light emblazoned on the front. Shikamaru's eyes widened. The light bomb hit the ground and exploded in a burst of piercing white light.

"I swiped _that_ when you kicked me." Yuzaga boasted. The light hadn't affected him because he had his back to it. Shikamaru took the blast full force, and his pupils were almost non-existent.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed. "I can't see." "That's kind of the point." The Stone-nin teased. He slammed his hands together in the Snake seal once more and crouched, jamming his right arm into the ground. When he pulled it up, it was covered in rock up to the elbow.

"Earth Style: Crumble Fist!" He covered the space between the two of them in one leap, crashing his fist into Shikamaru's face. The shadow-user fell back. When he picked himself up, he was grinning in Yuzaga's general direction.

"What's so funny?" "Shadow Possession Jutsu: Success. Again." Yuzaga flicked his eyes to the ground. His shadow was connected to Shikamaru's once more. "I shouldn't have attacked." He realized.

"Bingo." Shikamaru agreed. He switched from the Rat seal to the Bird seal. "Ninja Art: Shadow Stitching Jutsu!" Shikamaru's shadow reared up, splitting into eighths before stabbing back into Yuzaga. The Stone-nin screamed.

"You mother-" "This is one of my clan's best jutsu. It's offensive, which is something the Nara clan doesn't have enough of. We're trappers. This does both." He was smug.

"I'll get out of this." Yuzaga vowed. Shikamaru shook his head. "You're not gonna get the chance." He made another seal. "Ninja Art: Shadow Sinking Jutsu!" The threads of shadow snapped taut, dragging Yuzaga to his knees. Yuzaga's shadow started to spread beneath him, darkening and beginning to swirl. The Stone-nin began to sink.

"Damn it!" He forced his hands together in the Monkey seal. "Wind Style: Updraft!" He shifted his bottom hand to where both palms faced the ground as a burst of air struggled to lift him out of the shadows. He continued to sink, albeit slowly.

"Give it up. There's no escaping the Shadow Sinking." Shikamaru declared. "I won't die here! I'm gonna be the leader of this village someday!" Yuzaga let out a scream, pushing more chakra through his hands. The bandages wrapped around them ripped apart and flew down into the swirling shadows, revealing that the Stone-nin had done something to cause massive burns across his hands. He started lifting back up.

"You're pretty resilient, I'll give you that." Shikamaru said. "But that's not gonna be enough. This jutsu is too powerful for you to escape." "I'm the exception." Yuzaga announced. "_I'll prove you wrong every time!_" He shot out of the shadows, snapping the tendrils that held him. He hovered ten feet over the ground, blood dripping in a constant flow. He brought his hands together, cancelling his jutsu. As he dropped, he gathered chakra.

"I'll just catch you again when you land!" Shikamaru shouted. "Then I'll tear the ground apart!" He pulled he hands apart a transparent sphere floated between them. Another sphere glowed brightly in the middle.

"This is the power of my grandfather! The Dust Style!" Shikamaru gaped. "Dust Style?" Up in the Kage's box, Onoki beamed proudly. His pride, his grandson, had pulled it off. It was by no means perfect. The spherical version was the basic, the weakest. He himself could perform cubes and cones, and Mu, his teacher, could use cylinders. The differences in shape were reflective of the generation gap between the users. The crowd was muttering, not understanding, and the other Kage were apprehensive.

"_He taught that boy the Dust Style?"_ Tsunade wondered. _"That fool old man. This doesn't bode well." _Yagura noted.

Yuzaga raised his hands over his head. "Dust Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" He threw the attack down, and it flew fast at the ground. The outer sphere expanded, and buried itself half in the ground. The smaller orb touched the earth and exploded. The first orb kept the burst from coming out above-ground, but it was released full force underneath. The ground seemed to implode, almost completely vanishing and leaving a deep pit. Shikamaru fell, hitting an edge, and began rolling down the incline. He smashed his head into a rock, blood spurting from the back of his skull.

The proctor appeared at the bottom of the pit, checking on the shadow-user. He felt for a pulse before standing and calling for a medic. Two dropped down next to him, putting the Nara boy on a stretcher.

"Shikamaru Nara has been knocked out. He will live, but cannot continue the battle. Yuzaga Hokori will advance to the next round." He pointed at the Stone-nin, who was slumping against the wall, panting and sweating heavily. He crawled up into the stairwell to the competitors' box while the proctor made the Snake seal in the pit.

"Earth Style: Shifting Sands!" The ground at the bottom of the pit started to well up, evening out at the sides steadily until the field was back to the way it was before. He smiled. "Next competitors?"

* * *

><p><strong>Sakura Haruno vs. Ichi<strong>

* * *

><p>"C'mon, you Leaf bitch!" Ichi called. The fight had been raging for close to twenty minutes, and Sakura couldn't get close enough to land a hit. Ichi was a smart opponent, taking no chances of fighting close range. All his attacks came from mid to long range, taking advantage of the fact that Sakura's monster strength was useless far away. Or so he thought…<p>

Sakura made the Snake seal before channeling chakra into her right fist. "Earth Style: Shattered Chasm Jutsu!" She punched the ground, transferring the chakra. The earth began to crack, small ones spreading out, but a huge one stretching towards Ichi.

"You'll have to do better than that!" He bit his thumb, making several seals. "Summoning Jutsu: Dual-Headed Snake!" A burst of smoke cleared to show a long blue snake flying through the air at Sakura. Half way along its body it split into two trunks, leading to two separate heads. The heads had red eyes and armor plating.

Ichi made another seal. "Snake Steel Net!" The snake opened both mouths, spitting more snakes. Each snake opened both mouths, spawning more and more snakes until a wall of slithering death was set to wash over Sakura. They began wrapping around her, and soon she was covered.

"Don't bite her yet. I want to have some 'fun' first." Ichi grinned with some strange combination of sadism and perversion. He called the original snake back and merged with it, much like his teammates could. His hands turned into snake heads. He opened the mouths.

"Spinning Snake Thorn!" He launched two spiraling projectiles, with ninja wire attached. They spun at Sakura, going around and tying her up. They landed behind her, exploding and sending Sakura to the ground. The snakes slithered off her, staying close by. Ichi stalked over, turning one hand back to normal and preparing the other with another Spinning Snake Thorn.

"You're a very pretty little girl." Ichi smirked. He reached down, untying Sakura's kimono top and putting his normal hand on her breasts that were still covered by a black undershirt. In the competitors' box, Naruto and Sasuke were livid.

"Creepy snake bastard! I'm going down there! You with me Sasuke?" The Uchiha already had the Sharingan flared, and the two stepped for the door. Yuzaga stood in the way, having finally made it up the stairs. It looked like a strong breeze would knock him over.

"Move over." Sasuke commanded. "Calm down. This is something every kunoichi goes through eventually. The proctor won't let it go very far though. And your Hokage would step in before he would. You can't interrupt the fight. You must have faith in your teammate."

The two Leaf-nin were about to blast past him anyway when Jikai spoke up. "He's right. Look now."

Ichi had made the mistake of turning his other hand back to normal so he could try ripping Sakura's top off. He had to pull back a little to do it, and Sakura capitalized. She drove her feet into his chest with increased strength, cracking a few ribs and throwing him back. She wiggled free of the loosened wire and tied her kimono back.

Ichi got back to his feet, grasping his chest. He glowered at her. "End her. _Now!_" The snakes re-converged, ready to sink their teeth into Sakura's body and fulfill the dark wishes of their summoner. Sakura charged her fist with chakra again, just slamming it down this time. The ground cracked even more violently than before, sending chunks of earth flying into the air and taking the snakes with it.

The pinkette kept moving, leaping from rock to rock as they flew up. She landed close to Ichi, unleashing another punch that snapped the Mist-nin's neck, sending his head spinning around till it was completely backwards. The snake-user reached up and twisted his neck back with terrible cracking noises.

"Not too bad girl." He smiled another horrible smile. "I'm gonna enjoy carving you into pieces in front of all these people." Sakura wasn't prepared for an opponent with a broken neck being able to snap it back into place.

"I'll kill you slowly, and painfully." He slammed his hands together, transforming them back into snake heads. "Spinning Snake Thorns!" He fired the projectiles at close range. Sakura twisted and bent back, completely dodging the first thorn. The second scraped past her, spattering blood from her side.

"Ah. There it is." Ichi smiled. While Sakura was hunched over he swiped his fingers over the blood dripping from her and popped them into his mouth one-by-one. Then he stiffened.

"Fake blood, moron. _Poisoned_ blood." Sakura smirked as she stood straight. Her kimono hadn't even been torn. "It's an advanced paralytic. You can barely move, right?" She ran at him. At the last possible second, Ichi's hands snapped forward, securing themselves around her neck.

"Fool. You can't poison a snake." He laughed. He began to choke the life out of her. She was slowly turning blue when her knee shot up, striking him in the chest. He groaned and stepped back, hands still around her throat. She was dragged down.

"Little bitch." Ichi gasped. He drove one fist into her face repeatedly, keeping her neck pinned with the other hand. "Forget slowly. I'll kill you now. But it _will_ be painful." He vowed. For the first time Sakura could see Ichi's teeth. The incisors were filed down into fangs. He bared them and shot his head toward the soft flesh of her neck, intending to end it. He stopped when he felt the blade of a kunai and the blade of a sword lightly touch his throat. Naruto and Sasuke were behind him, weapons trained on him. He flicked his eyes forward again to find himself staring into Kakashi's Sharingan.

"Sleep." The Copy Ninja commanded. Ichi's head began to droop, and the two Genin behind him pulled their blades away. The medics came and picked up both fighters as the proctor jumped down beside the three Leaf-nin.

"Sakura Haruno has been defeated. Because of the interruption, and the fact that Ichi has been incapacitated, neither will advance. Because of their meddling, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki will be disqualified from the Exams." In the competitors' box, Yuzaga and Gaara were both livid. Sand floated around the redhead, and Yuzaga stalked out and jumped up to the Kage's box. The guards, not immediately realizing who he was, nearly took him out.

"Let me pass!" He cried. They admitted him with mutterings of: "Yes, Lord Yuzaga." and "Sorry, Lord Yuzaga." The Stone-nin stalked up to his grandfather.

"Gramps, overturn the decision!" "Why? I thought you'd be happy with less competition." The Tsuchikage reasoned.

"Are you _crazy_?" Yuzaga exploded. "We all know I'm gonna make Chunin! The only reason I wanted to participate in the Exams is because I wanted to fight strong guys! These two are tough as hell! I can feel it. Put them back in the Exams." The Tsuchikage contemplated. Tsunade nodded vigorously, and Yagura glared at Yuzaga for having the nerve.

"Very well." He disappeared. Back on the field, Onoki reappeared beside the proctor. "I'm reversing the disqualification. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha will continue in the Exams." He turned to Kakashi and his students. "But the two of them are on a short leash. Anymore disturbances and they _will_ be disqualified."

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><p><strong>Kajika vs. Neji Hyuga<strong>

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><p>Neji walked down the steps, meeting Sasuke and Naruto on the way up. He nodded to them, they nodded back, and Neji stepped into the light of the arena. Kajika was waiting for him. He felt mildly apprehensive after watching how he almost slaughtered Ino. These Mist-nin were brutal and aggressive.<p>

"I just love sinking my teeth into you Leaf-nin." Kajika said lowly. He smiled, showing small, pointed teeth. Neji stared ahead, looking unaffected. He shoved his nerves down past his stomach, where they couldn't bother him.

"Kajika of the Mist, it is time to begin our battle." Neji sank into his stance. "I agree." Kajika formed three seals: Ox - Horse - Ram. "Water Style: Ice Darts Jutsu!" He opened his mouth wide, firing multiple missiles of ice at Neji. It was the Hyuga's turn to smirk.

"Rotation!" He gathered his chakra in the chakra points, spun himself, and released the pent-up energy in the form of an impenetrable blue dome. The Ice Darts shattered harmlessly.

"You won't hit me with any attacks as long as I have chakra." "We'll see about that." Kajika began forming rapid seals, hands moving so fast that only the two Sharingan users in the arena could follow them.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" He opened his mouth again and unleashed a constant torrent of water from his mouth. It immediately took the shape of a dragon, taking flight at Neji, who could only smirk again at the futile attempt to attack.

"Rotation!" The dragon hit the dome of energy, displacing on contact. As soon as the water hit the dome Kajika began more seals. When the water hit he used chakra to make it follow the rotation of Neji's attack.

"Water Style: Clinging Grand Whirlpool!" The water pressed against the Rotation, chakra keeping it from dispersing. The vortex was not because of the dome anymore, but because of Kajika's jutsu. Eventually, Neji had to cancel the attack, and the water converged on him.

"I'll drown you like a rat before I tear you apart!" Kajika declared. "Water Style: Hard Water Spike!" Kajika's right arm began to glow before water soaked through his skin and transformed into a drill-like spike over his hand. "It's time to die!" He formed more rapid hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Gathering Jutsu!" As Kajika drove his fist into the vortex, intent on spearing Neji, the water around the Hyuga swirled even faster, pulling toward Kajika's attack. As soon as the tip of the Hard Water Spike touched the water it spluttered and was sucked into Kajika's attack, making it more powerful. The spear hit Neji's chest, burrowing in. The water turned red from Neji's chest, turning all the water and leaving red foam flying behind the Mist-nin.

Neji coughed blood into Kajika's face, making the shark-like Genin smirk and draw it in with his tongue. Neji's lips began moving, and gurgled, garbled words spilled out.

"What was that?" Kajika taunted, leaning in. The Hyuga drew a gasping breath, then wet his lips. "You're in my circle." He whispered. Kajika looked down, standing in the middle of a glowing Yin-Yang, with three glowing green circles around it. As his eyes widened, another circle appeared with an ominous noise.

"What is this?" Kajika demanded. Neji smiled faintly. "Eight Trigrams:…. One-Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" He drove his fingers into the chakra points of the Mist-nin's body. "Two Palms!" He went in again.

"Four Palms!" The Hard Water Spike cancelled, and Neji dropped back to his feet, using the momentum of his attack to stay on his feet, falling forward to continue attacking. "Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms! Sixty-Four Palms! One-Hundred Twenty-Eight Pa-" Neji's blood gushed particularly forcefully, interrupting his attack, and bringing him to his knees. Kajika's mouth was also dripping, and he smiled no longer.

"Leaf bastard." Where had Neji heard that before? He though back to his battle in the forest. What was that girl's name? Tayuya of the North Gate. That was it. Was it possible that this Mist-nin was working for Orochi-? He didn't finish his thought. Kajika slammed his hand into the side of the kneeling Hyuga's head, knocking him to the ground. Neji's vision went dark. The proctor appeared beside the two of them.

"Bring the medics!" He cried. "Neji Hyuga cannot finish the battle! Kajika will move to the next round!"

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><p><strong>Naruto Uzumaki vs. Rock Lee<strong>

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><p>"I have been waiting for a long time to fight you, Naruto." Lee declared. The boy with the bowl-cut smiled at his rival. Naruto nodded. "I've wanted to fight you too."<p>

"I guess I will be the one to start our battle! Here I come Naruto!" Lee flung a kunai at Naruto, who dodged deftly.

"Dynamic Entry!" Naruto whirled around to get a face-full of Lee's foot. The blond flew back and furrowed a trench with his body.

"Son of a bitch." Naruto muttered as he stood back up. Before Naruto could prepare himself, Lee was on him again.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Naruto ducked so the kick flew over his head, but the second, lower kick knocked him back to the ground. Naruto stood again, but Lee was attacking once more.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted. Three clones appeared and threw the original high into the air. They whirled and struck out at the green-clad ninja.

"Na!" "Ru!" "To!" Lee fell back as the original Naruto dropped down from the sky, hands clasped together.

"Uzumaki Barrage!" He slammed his hands into Lee's head, driving him to the ground where he made a small crater. Lee pulled himself up, looking no worse for wear.

"That was a very good combo Naruto." Lee decided. He started to run at Naruto, and his clones jumped to defend him. The Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village jumped up and spun into a chest high kick, blasting through the first clone. The kick propelled him up, leading to a higher kick, destroying another clone. Lee was sent even higher into the air, and the third kick killed the third clone. Lee smirked.

"Severe Leaf Hurricane!" Lee spun once more, vertically, and dropped his heel on top of Naruto's head, dragging him forward to crash his head into the ground. Lee leapt back, getting back into his Iron Fist stance.

"_I guess this is where that training Pervy Sage put me through is gonna come in handy." _Naruto thought. He began channeling his chakra to his feet. "I've gotten pretty fast, Lee. You may not be able to keep up." Lee laughed. "I am glad to see you can joke around Naruto. No one is faster than me."

"We'll see." Naruto vanished, only leaving a dust cloud. Lee smiled, showing off his pearly teeth. He kicked one leg, then the other. Thick bar weights slid out from under his legwarmers, leaving huge craters.

"I guess we will." Lee disappeared too. The two ninja clashed repeatedly, unseen. The only ones who could keep up were ninja, and they only saw flashes of light where the two collided. Very few, Sasuke, Kakashi, and any member of the Hyuga clan, could see the movements as they were happening.

The two stopped for a moment, to catch their breath. "You have gotten fast, Naruto, but you cannot keep up with me." Naruto was hunched over panting, but Lee had yet to break a sweat.

"I'll agree. I'm not up to your level. But I'm still gonna win!" He summoned a clone and started forming the Rasengan. The blond rushed his fellow Leaf -nin at full speed. Lee let his body go slack for an instant as Naruto closed in. Then, he dropped backwards, flicking his leg up.

"Leaf Rising Wind!" The kick caught Naruto's chin, sending his flying high up into the air. Lee vanished off the ground, appearing over Naruto in a somersault. "Leaf Axe Drop!" At the apex of his flip Lee stuck out a leg, bringing it down on Naruto's head with a devastating cracking noise. The Naruto underneath him, still holding the Rasengan, disappeared. The Rasengan started to drop toward the ground, where the real Naruto leapt up. He grabbed the Spiral Sphere in his hand and continued toward Lee, who was falling toward the attack.

"How'd ya like my Fake-Out Rasengan?" He cried, connecting the usually deadly attack with the other Leaf-nin. Lee's eyes widened, but true to the name, the Fake-Out Rasengan didn't blast through him. Instead, the attack burst apart, sending an explosive wind that threw both Genin toward the ground. Naruto made a few hand seals.

"Wind Style: Wind Blade Kunai!" He stuck a hand into his weapons pouch behind him, pulling out a kunai on his middle finger. As it spun, it drew some of the winds to it, forming a fine coating of chakra around it. He flung the weapon at the falling Taijutsu user.

Lee drew his own kunai and let it fly, intent on deflecting the attack. The two collided, but the Wind chakra cut through his kunai, Naruto's attack keeping a straight course to him.

The green-clad boy focused his meager chakra reserves. "Dancing Leaf Shadow!" Naruto knew what was coming, but was confused. _"When did he open the first Gate?"_ Lee's bandages swirled around Naruto, pulling him tight to the older boy's chest.

"Oh, shi-" "_Primary Lotus_!" Lee slammed the blond into the ground, but before he could get away the boy detonated. Lee was knocked far away, suit singed and bandages on fire. As he put them out, Naruto stepped into sight. He was panting.

"Shadow Clone Explosion. Pervy Sage taught me." _"Give me some chakra, you bastard Fox."_ He demanded internally. The deadly orange chakra flared for an instant, so fast that only Sasuke and Kakashi saw it. Then, it transformed into the normal blue, but flowed around Naruto like a flame before drawing back into him. Jiraiya nodded subtly.

"_He's finally learned how to siphon chakra from the Fox and make it his own."_ When the light show was over, Naruto stood tall, breathing normally. His various scrapes and bruises had changed, looking days old now instead of fresh. _"The only drawback is that he doesn't heal completely, because the chakra changes before the healing takes effect."_

Naruto cracked his neck. "Well, Lee?" He asked expectantly. The Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village stood back up, brushing himself off. He pulled a small sphere from his pouch.

"Guy-Sensei told me to only use this when I was fighting a very tough opponent. I believe you qualify, Naruto." Lee unwrapped the sphere, holding an ordinary bonbon. "However, I do not like chocolate much. I will trust Guy-Sensei!" He popped the bonbon in his mouth, and Guy stiffened in the stands.

"_Oh no, Lee."_ He hid his head in his hands, causing other spectators to stare at him. Sweat poured off of him in streams. Back in the arena, Lee stiffened as well, at the same time as his sensei. Then he dropped to the ground in a very undignified position.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked. Lee suddenly sat bolt-upright, a dark blush coloring his cheeks. He was on his feet, seemingly from his sitting position, leaving the crowd in a state of wonder. He swayed unsteadily on his feet, shifting from side to side.

"Lee? Are you-" Lee was on him before he could finish his sentence. Naruto fell back after Lee's fist collided with his face. Naruto was up quickly, putting space between them.

"_Damn_!" He exclaimed. Lee was stooping to pick up his training weights, holding them almost reverently, and yet also like a parent would hold a child. He cuddled them. Naruto put his hands in his weapons pouch again, drawing a kunai for each finger.

"Alright," He said warily. "Let's see just what happens." He flung all ten kunai, each making a beeline for the bob-haired nin. Lee kept swaying for a moment before flipping his hands around rapidly, connecting his weights together. Before a few seconds had passed, he was holding a full-length bo-staff. He moved it almost faster than even the Sharingan could follow, knocking every kunai out of the air.

"What was that?" Lee slurred. _"He's drunk."_ Naruto realized. He seemed to remember a story he'd overheard Guy telling Kakashi once, about how Lee had taken one drink of sake, and nearly destroyed a restaurant. Lee's eyes seemed for focus on Naruto for the first time in the last few moments, and he took a shuddering step forward. The blond didn't think he was going to make it across the arena to him, but Lee vanished and Naruto had to go on defense, ducking and weaving, letting the Fox have a little leeway so he could dodge fast enough.

Lee's strikes were sporadic, and there was no pattern. He was skilled enough to be able to strike, and then pull the staff around in ways that shouldn't have been possible to attack from an entirely different angle, in mere milliseconds. Finally, one of Lee's attacks scored home, the end of his staff bashing into Naruto's head. The end snapped back, held by a length of chain, and slammed into Lee's head as well. Both fell back, blood dripping. Naruto sat up, followed by Lee, who's eyes were clear.

"Lee, what the _hell_ was that?" The blond asked. "…What was what, Naruto?" He looked puzzled. "I do not understand." Naruto furrowed his brows. "Forget it. Let's end this fight!"

Both leapt back and started to power up. Lee crossed his arms over his chest and the air began to raise up around him.

"Gate of Rest…_open_!" His various scratches and the burns he received from Naruto's attacks healed completely, and his eyes turned completely white. "Gate of Life…open!" Lee's skin turned a dark red color. "Gate of Pain…_open_!" Lee's chakra level skyrocketed, leaving a cylinder of green energy around him that shot high into the sky. "Gate of Closing…_open_!" He quivered all over, and the ground began to shatter under his feet.

Naruto formed the cross seal. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A hundred perfect copies formed around him, hiding him from Lee's pupil-less eyes.

"You cannot hide from me forever _Naruto_!" Lee screamed, voice a few notes deeper. "I don't need forever." Naruto vowed. Two clones stepped up beside him while the others got ready for the fight of their lives.

Lee snapped his staff back together and rushed the clones, tearing the ground asunder and leaving a smoking trail in his wake. Naruto and his two clones were standing apart from the larger group, and Lee decided to leave them alone for the moment, charging around all the clones, making a huge circle. He broke up his staff, revealing the chains connecting it. He continued disconnecting the weights until all that was left was chains that he wrapped around all the clones as he raced around. Many of the clones at the edges of the group had already dispersed. Lee stepped back, grabbing tightly to the end of the chains. He hefted the length back, sending all the remaining clones into the air. Lee swung the chain around like it was a lasso, sending the clones jerking around in a gigantic version of the circle Lee had been running.

"It is time for me to end this battle! This is my last attack!" The chains began to unravel, leaving Lee a sort of ladder to leap to the top. He flashed from chain to chain, appearing at the top and driving his fist into the middle of the group. The chains split apart, leaving the clones to fall.

"_Thunder Lotus Chain!_" Lee descended into the midst of the group, throwing rapid, powerful, killer punches that blasted straight through a clone with every hit. Lee had missed some clones in his zeal to get rid of them, so ten or fifteen fell above him. They linked eyes with their counterparts below, and they all made a single sign in unison.

"Shadow Clone Explosion: Chain!" All the remaining clones detonated at once, with Lee at the center of the blast. The Genin screamed, but it was drowned out by the explosions. The blasts died, and Lee continued flying at the last three blond ninja in the arena, his Gates beginning the healing process to compensate for his damage.

"It's through, Lee." Naruto declared as his last two clones vanished. He held a Rasengan in his hand, but four white blades jutted from it, spinning erratically.

"I can show this to you, Lee, because I know you'll survive it." He said darkly. The sphere was unstable, and on the urge of bursting apart, but red chakra bubbled out of Naruto's body and into the attack. Naruto's eyes were still blue, but they were slitted. The Rasengan's normal blue changed to purple with the added chakra.

"Hope this doesn't take you out for too long." Naruto said almost apologetically. Lee kept coming, his fall unable to be halted. Naruto's attack began to scream.

"Wind Style: Rasengan!" The blond roared as he drove his attack at the falling Genin. As soon as it touched, Naruto detonated it, making it much less deadly. All the force impacted and formed a giant tornado with Lee as the ground, the winds blasting around him while he floated in the eye of the storm, connecting the attack to the ground. The wind fell in on itself, shooting Lee into the air again, out of the winds, and toward the ground. Naruto blinked his eyes back, leaped up, and caught Lee, lowering him to the ground. The boy was alive, and would be able to fight again, even if it wasn't soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Jikai Hokori vs. Gaara<strong>

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><p>The proctor fixed the field again, but it was in vain as the last two powerhouses destroyed it with no trouble. The fight had raged for a half hour, but it was apparent soon after the start that Gaara's sand wasn't much of a match for Jikai's Lava Style, but Gaara kept his cool. It was only when Gaara's Sand Tsunami was transformed into glass by one of Jikai's powerful attacks that the Sand-nin's composure started to crack.<p>

Jikai had figured out after seeing Gaara's jutsu up close that he was the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku. Gaara, who had much more control over his impulses, was losing the fight against the demon inside, who sensed one of his kind just hundreds of feet away from him.

"**Four-Tails…"** Gaara rasped, sand swirling around him, starting to cling to his form. Jikai gazed with apprehension as an unearthly, demonic wind was raised around the two competitors. Both boys felt their red hair stand on end, Jikai's more impressive because of the length. Gaara's eyes were bloodshot, and the clinging sand began to take the shape of Gaara's miniature Shukaku form. Jikai felt rage that wasn't his stir inside him.

"**Shukaku."** His own deepened voice acknowledged. He unzipped his bubble coat, throwing it away. His white shirt had already burned away, and thick red hair grew out all over Jikai's chest and arms. He felt that hair stand as well, and it began to fall away from him, skin pealing to reveal the one-tail form of the Four-Tails. The blood.

Gaara didn't have the luxury of different forms. He was all in. He kept himself in the miniature Shukaku form, still exerting some modem of control. Meanwhile, bones started to sprout out across the blood beast. Another tail sprouted up. By this time, most of the audience had realized what was happening, and they started bolting for the doors. However, the way was blocked by thick wooden planks that would not yield.

They stared in horror as Gaara started to lose control, growing to a massive size as the bones and blood that used to be Jikai shuddered, muscle rippling into existence over the powerful demonic body. A third tail formed. Both only had one more step to unleash the full fury of their Tailed Beasts. Naruto looked on in horror, knowing finally what drew him to Jikai Hokori, and the boy was truly terrified that someone else transformed in the horrendous way he did.

"_Yamato_!" Kakashi's voice rang out. A masked member of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops appeared in the middle of the arena, between the two beastly forces. Both sets of terrible eyes flicked to the man together, and they both started moving forward in assault. The man clasped his hands together in the Snake seal.

"Wood Style: Shodai Sealing Crystal!" From out of the ground erupted two green crystals, identical to the one around Naruto's neck. They shot toward the Biju with incredible speed, impaling both demons. They tried fighting back, but the man called Yamato was already making rapid seals.

Boar, Dog, Ram, Monkey, Ram, Monkey, and Tiger. "Hokage-Style Elder Jutsu: Tenth Edict on Enlightenment!" Yamato sat on the ground, seemingly oblivious to the fact that two demons were tearing up the earth at their sides trying to rip him apart. He held out a hand with a kanji on it, and ten wooden pillars burst from the ground, each topped with an animal head. The pillars shot forward, stretching towards the Jinchuriki, five to each. The teeth of the pillars gnashed and sank into the flesh of the demons, sealing their chakra. The beasts roared in defiance, but it didn't matter. Within seconds both demons were in human form once more, and dropped to the ground. Both were unconscious.

* * *

><p>Because of the Tailed-Beasts' rampage, both Jikai and Gaara had been taken out of the tournament. Neither would advance. That left Sasuke, Yuzaga, Kajika, and Naruto moving on to the next round. The matches would be Sasuke vs. Yuzaga, and Kajika vs. Naruto. Then, the final match. It was decided that there would be a week to heal up and prepare for the next matches, and that the people in the stands would have arrangements for quarters.<p>

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><p><strong>I've been writing this chapter on and off for quite some time. This is the longest chapter by far, and the longest it took to write. But here it is. I went ahead and did the entire round this chapter so I wouldn't have to split it up. So next time we'll see the end of the Chunin Exams, and we might even see the hidden Orochimaru's plot come to fruition. So, I hope you liked the chapter, and I'd like to tell you now that after this Chunin Exams Arc, I'll officially be starting the Akatsuki Arc. So, I want to know which Akatsuki members you all want me to keep in this fic, and if you have any ideas for any OC Akatsuki members. Or, I can leave them as they are in the anime. Either is fine by me. So, drop a review, and we'll tackle this thing together, hmm? Ja Nae!<strong>

**P.S. I'm going to be changing my profile picture soon to a picture I drew of Team Yuzaga from the Stone Village. Keep a lookout.**


	7. Final Round: Orochimaru's Plot

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**In the previous chapter we see the end of the preliminary fights and the training that the fighters went through. The final list of Genin fighting is Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Yuzaga, Jikai, Ichi, Kajika, Shikamaru, Gaara, Kiba, Neji, and Lee. At the end of the chapter Sasuke and Kiba are about to begin their fight. What's gonna happen during the Chunin Exams? We know Orochimaru is plotting an attack, but we don't have any specifics. Without further ado, let's start this. Also, Neji is wearing his outfit from Shippuden, and Lee is dressed the same as he was before.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Finals: Last Round! Orochimaru's Plot Comes to Fruition!<strong>

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><p><strong>Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yuzaga Hokori<strong>

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><p>It was a week after the GaaraJikai Biju fiasco, and all four of the remaining fighters were ready for their battles. Sasuke and the Stone-nin Yuzaga stood opposite each other in the arena, while Naruto and Kajika waited in the competitor's box.

"I've been waiting for this, Sasuke Uchiha." Yuzaga said. Sasuke nodded. "In fact, _I'm_ the one that saved your ass in these Exams." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I got my grandpa to overturn your disqualification. I wanted a good fight." Sasuke smirked.

"You'll get one." The proctor appeared between them, arm raised high in the air. "Enough talk." He declared. "The first semi-final match will now _begin!_" He dropped his hand and vanished.

Sasuke made rapid seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Yuzaga calmly watched the massive ball of flames rush toward him before pulling out a scroll with the Water kanji painted on it. He opened it and dropped it in front of him, made a seal, and stomped his foot onto the seals inside the scroll. Water rose up around him and blasted forward, dousing the fire and making smoke.

"Nice try." He said. He felt cold steel against his throat. "It's called a distraction." Sasuke said condescendingly. "Do it." Yuzaga dared. Sasuke smirked and brought his kusanagi back toward him, cutting through the Stone-nin's neck with no opposition. The head dropped and the body slumped to its knees. Sasuke brought up a foot and kicked the body square in the back. His foot stuck tight and he could see the body start to melt. He transformed his eyes into the Sharingan and cursed.

"Mud Clone." He spat, trying to move himself from the mud that was slowly engulfing him. "Damn it. _Chidori Current!_" Sparks burst out across the Uchiha's body and the mud fell off in clumps.

"Very nice, Uchiha." Yuzaga said from behind him. Sasuke whirled, swinging his kusanagi in a wide arc. The Stone-nin bent back, the blade whistling just above him. He placed his hands behind him, propping him up as he flipped his legs up, kicking the kusanagi from Sasuke's hands. He continued the flip, maneuvering himself in the air to catch the sword's hilt.

"This is a nice sword." He commented. He channeled his chakra and the blade began to glow blue. His chakra burst out around the sword, leaving a sharp coating of Wind natured chakra.

"Wind Style: Kusanagi!" He declared jokingly. "Nah. I wouldn't do something like that. My attacks are original." He forced more chakra into the blade, flaring the energy around the highly sensitive metal. Sasuke, not knowing what to do, stayed cautiously distanced.

"Guess I have to come to you?" Yuzaga smiled. "Wind Style: Slashing Wind Scythe Blade!" He vanished and reappeared past the stunned Uchiha. A slash appeared in the Uchiha's jacket a split second before Sasuke's blood sprayed from his chest and he fell to the ground. Yuzaga made a big show of moving the sword like a samurai, sliding it over an invisible sheathe and holding it by his side.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Uchiha. I know that was Genjutsu." Sasuke stood back up, smiling. "I'm glad you're a worthy opponent. I was afraid one of my last matches was going to be a letdown." Yuzaga smiled back. "No chance of that. I'm goin' all out!" He ran forward again, preparing the sword for another strike.

"You caught me off guard with that attack earlier, but you're obviously not trained in Kenjutsu." Sasuke noted. "I am." The Uchiha easily disarmed Yuzaga, getting his blade back. He slipped it into the sheathe in his belt-loops.

"I think it's time to fight with our jutsu." He made rapid hand signs and ran forward. His arm erupted in lightning and he closed the distance. "Chidori!" Yuzaga replied with signs of his own before slamming his hands into the ground.

"Wind Style: Updraft!" He was launched from a crouch, flying high over the Uchiha's head. He bit his thumb and made a few more seals. "Fire Style: Summoning Jutsu!" There was an unearthly roaring and the crackle of flames as the smoke from the summoning began to fade.

"Flame Golem!" Yuzaga called out. A hand made of flames cut through the smoke, revealing the terrifying form now on the battleground. It was a full foot taller than Yuzaga, who was an inch or two taller than Sasuke, and made almost completely from intensely burning, dark red flames. It had claws made of solid, bleached white bones, and in the midst of the flames where the head formed was a human skull. The flames left the skull alone, instead coming up behind the bone, forming a hood of fire.

Yuzaga smirked and slapped a hand to the creature's back, flames having no effect. "Collaboration Jutsu!" He called out. A breeze began to whirl around him, lifting him a little. "Firestorm!" The beast brought its hands together, blasting all of the flames from its arms at Sasuke, leaving the bones from under the fire.

The flames started to spiral, flying fast at the Uchiha. Sasuke dove to the side, making seals of his own. "Summoning Jutsu!" He brought Biscuit to assist him.

"Son of a bitch!" The dog exclaimed at seeing the Flame Golem. Then he saw the flames coming at them from the other side, and he slammed his paws together. "Water Style: Hellfire Quench!" The small dog opened his mouth wide and launched a large, continuous burst of water that collided with the fire, causing an explosion of mist that covered the arena.

"Biscuit! What kind of weakness can we use against that thing?" Biscuit thought for a second. "Well, all the Golems have the same weakness." Sasuke perked up. "Explain." "Well…"

* * *

><p>"Wind Style: Updraft!" Yuzaga pointed his hands into the mist and moved them around, blowing the cover away. Sasuke and Biscuit were nowhere to be found. He flicked his eyes all around, searching. He looked down at the ground, thinking.<p>

"Cook 'em." He commanded. The skull under the flames clicked its jaws together sinisterly. It outstretched its bony arms and more fire burst out across the bleached white skeleton. It focused and the flames seemed to pour off its arms, into the dirt. A heat haze made the arena look fuzzy, and waves of warmth resonated throughout the building. The ground was turning a dark red color.

"_Now!_" Sasuke roared. They burst from the earth in the only spot not heating up. It was a circle about ten feet in diameter around the Golem and its summoner. They reappeared between the two enemies. Biscuit's paws were together again, and he breathed deep.

"Water Style: Hellfire Quench!" The burst of water sounded like a shotgun as it washed over the Golem, putting out the flames. "_Go! Sasuke!_" Biscuit barked. Sasuke leapt into the air, easily getting higher than the Golem's head, and attaining the perfect strike zone. His arm caught sparks from the dying flames as lightning blasted forth once more.

"Chidori!" His electrified arm shot straight through the only weakness in the Golem, its head, reducing it to powder. The bones that made up its body came apart and crumbled into dust. The crowd roared at the amazing display of tactics and power.

"Damn it!" Yuzaga cursed. The Golem was one of his trump cards. But then he smirked. "That was a good show, Sasuke." He complimented. "You're quite the shinobi. _But so am I!_" He made seals again before biting both thumbs.

"Wind Style: Summoning Jutsu! Earth Style: Summoning Jutsu!" He crashed one palm against the ground, and the other he stuck out in the air. He rose the hand on the ground at the same time that wind started swirling around the other. The wind picked up the dust from the Flame Golem's bones, bringing it into the form of the new creature. At the same time, the earth was rising with Yuzaga's hand. In seconds there was a pillar of earth before him, and a small tornado whirling beside him.

"Hmph." Yuzaga smirked as he squeezed his thumbs, dropping more of his blood into the pillar and the tornado as an offering. The blood ran down the earth in glowing red patterns as it also caused red streaks to pass through the winds.

"Arise! Air Golem! Stone Golem!" The earth pillar shattered, revealing a crouched figure. It stood, revealing itself to be a stout but broad Golem wearing stone armor over its bones. The helmet was in the shape of a demon, but the mouth was a grill, just like a regular helmet, so the skull was still somewhat visible.

At the same time, the dust from the Flame Golem's bones reformed in the winds, becoming the bones of the Air Golem. The winds howled as they clothed the skeleton in green robes that ruffled ominously in a non-existent breeze. The two stood side by side, the Stone Golem shorter than a normal man, but far broader, and the Air Golem was taller than any man, like a willow, but gravely thin.

Yuzaga snapped his fingers and the Stone Golem stabbed his thick arm into the ground, pulling out a long claymore blade, while the Air Golem held out its hand and a metal rod shot up from the ground. Some of the winds pulled away from the specter's robes and formed a constantly shifting blade on the side. The Stone Golem hefted the claymore over its shoulder and it connected to its back, while the Air Golem twirled the scythe through brittle fingers, as if testing the feel of a weapon long lost.

"What the hell are _those_?" Sasuke stared at Biscuit. "I didn't think he'd be able to summon more than one." The nin-dog explained apologetically. "There are five in total. One for every element. The Flame, Air, Plasma, Stone, and Ocean Golems. They're powerful alone, but something is said to happen when they're summoned together."

Sasuke must've looked worried, because Biscuit continued. "However, it's almost impossible to summon all five. You can only summon one if you have the chakra nature that matches the Golem." Sasuke grinned.

"That means he only has these two left." Biscuit nodded. "Looks that way." "I know what you're muttering about over there." Yuzaga called out. "And you're right. I can't summon anymore of these Golems. But I won't need the other two." He snapped his fingers again and the Air Golem moved forward, faster than the air that made it up. Yuzaga put his hand to the Stone Golem's armor.

"Collaboration Jutsu!" Instead of winds lifting him like with the Flame Golem, a circle of fire began swirling around him. "Meteor!" The Stone Golem lifted its hands and a large stone burst forth from the ground. It caught the rock and fire erupted around its hands. It threw the flaming stone with incredible speed and accuracy.

Sasuke was dueling the Air Golem, sword on scythe, when the Meteor blasted through his opponent, nearly dealing Sasuke fatal damage. Biscuit leapt in the way at the last second, taking the explosive attack and disappearing back to his home.

"Biscuit!" Sasuke yelled. He looked to Yuzaga, who was panting from using so many jutsu. "At least that Air Golem is gone." Yuzaga smiled. "Ah, ah, ah." And suddenly, Sasuke felt something sharp licking at his neck. He shifted his eyes down at the green blade that shifted erratically, leaving miniscule cuts on the Uchiha's pale skin.

"Any of my Golems will regenerate, as long as the head isn't destroyed." Sasuke glared at the Stone-nin. "Don't hate the player. Hate the one that sucks." Yuzaga laughed. "Keep him there." He commanded the Air Golem. He formed a sign and thrust his arm into the Stone Golem's armor. He pulled it out, covered up to the elbow in rock. He ran at the Uchiha.

"Earth Style: Crumble Fist!" He buried his fist in Sasuke's stomach, and the Air Golem took its blade away, letting the Leaf-nin slump over its master's fist. Yuzaga smirked when he saw Sasuke's blood on the stones and tried to pull his arm back. But it wouldn't move. Sasuke had both hands gripping the attack in a vice. Sasuke's head came up and Yuzaga met the gaze of his three-tomoe Sharingan.

"Like a bear in a trap." Sasuke said with a smile. He blinked hard, enveloping Yuzaga's mind in a Genjutsu. The Stone-nin fell to his knees and all the rock dropped from his arm. The Golems became still without their master to give them orders. Sasuke pulled out two kunai, charging Fire Style chakra into the first, and Lightning Style chakra into the second. He launched them at the two Golems, breaking through the defenses and making the two dissolve like their third.

"Now, I've only put you in a simple Genjutsu. It should break once I hit you. But, if I hit you right, it won't matter." Sasuke mused. He pulled his kusanagi from its sheathe once more. "I think it's time to strike the final blow." He decided. That's when he saw the Stone-nin begin to twitch.

"Impossible." Sasuke said. "There shouldn't be any way for you to move while under the influence of my eyes." He lifted Yuzaga's eyelid, and there it was, the imprint of the Sharingan over the Stone-nin's eye, showing that he was under Sasuke's control. However, when Sasuke looked at the shinobi's chakra with his eyes, it wasn't interrupted like it would be if he was truly under the effects of a Genjutsu. Sasuke furrowed his brows, wondering what happened.

"Transform!" Cried the voice of his opponent. The Yuzaga in front of him changed shape under form of smoke that was cut away by the Wind Scythe that narrowly missed the Uchiha. The real Yuzaga burst out of the ground where the Air Golem had been hit with the kunai filled with Fire Style chakra.

"That was me you hit with that kunai." He explained. "Since the Air Golem is so much taller than I am, I was able to take its shape without fear of getting a kunai to the head." He laughed. "And since we shifted positions, I was never under any Genjutsu." He clapped his hands together. He spread his hands, now holding the Dust Style technique from his last match.

"Throw him." The Air Golem suddenly had Sasuke in a choke hold, and threw the Uchiha right into the path of Yuzaga's technique. The Stone-nin held his hands out, firing the powerful attack at full speed.

"Dust Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" The two opposing forces met in the middle of the arena. When the transparent sphere touched Sasuke, it expanded, trapping the Uchiha inside. As soon as the small sphere touched him, the inside of the attack exploded with the force of a nuclear attack. All the Konoha people stood, shouting and screaming with anger, fear, sorrow, and a lust for blood. All the Stone people stood shouting Yuzaga a hero for eliminating the 'last Uchiha.' But one voice screamed louder than all of them.

"_Wait!_" Yuzaga yelled in a voice powered by chakra. The scream continued until everyone was silent. Yuzaga cut the yell out. "I didn't win." He pointed at his Air Golem, which shimmered for a moment before revealing Sasuke, who stepped forward with a smile to cheers from the Leaf-nin and groans from the Stone.

"How do I know this isn't the first time I've actually seen you?" Yuzaga asked, eyebrow raised. "I thought this would be an interesting fight. It's been me the whole time." Sasuke promised. This, of course, pissed Kiba off in the stands.

"_Bastard!_" They heard his indignant roar over the heads of the silent crowd. The two combatants shared a smile before becoming serious once more. "I've only got enough chakra for one more attack." Yuzaga said. "I know. I can see it." Sasuke said seriously. "I have one more in me as well." He promised. They smiled once more before launching into rapid hand signs. Yuzaga finished first, but Sasuke continued signing.

"Earth Style: Burial Jutsu!" He put his hands in the Snake seal. "Grave!" The ground shook under Sasuke's feet and he was sent in the air by a large stone that shot from the earth. A deep cavity opened in the ground under him as he dropped into it, still signing. Yuzaga fell to his knees.

"Cover!" He cried hoarsely, clapping his hands onto the ground. The crack closed, sealing Sasuke underground. "Rest in peace. You've been one of the best opponents I've ever had…Sasuke of the Leaf's Uchiha." He prepared to snap his fingers and complete the jutsu, when a hand shot from the ground, grabbing his ankle.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" The hand jerked Yuzaga's leg, pulling him into the earth. Sasuke broke from the ground a few feet away. "Those were good parting words." Sasuke complimented. "I'm glad you didn't have to use them though." He smiled. "But this fight is over. You're out of chakra, and you can't break free." Yuzaga made to argue. "You can't fool these eyes."

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kajika<strong>

* * *

><p>The cheering for Sasuke's battle with Yuzaga had yet to end, even as Naruto and his opponent took to the floor. Sasuke had just pulled Yuzaga from the earth when his eager friend clapped him on the back.<p>

"That was amazing!" He cried. Sasuke smiled at his friend before taking a few wobbly steps to Yuzaga. "You alright?" He asked the Stone-nin. Yuzaga smirked. "I'll be fine. That was one of my best battles." The two shook hands and headed for the stairs together. Before they left, both turned to wish Naruto luck.

* * *

><p>Naruto stared hard at the Mist-nin. Sasuke had warned him of what Ni had said to him in the preliminary fight. She had mentioned Orochimaru. It was a safe assumption that if her team was with Orochimaru, that Kajika's was too. After all, they'd nearly killed every opponent they had, and were more powerful than most Genin.<p>

"_Well,"_ Naruto thought. _"If they're after Sasuke, they're in for a hell of a fight!"_ Naruto stood in thought for a few more moments, waiting for Kajika to make the first move.

"Raising Water Cutter!" Kajika slammed his foot on the ground. An arc of water shot from where his foot touched, aimed at Naruto like a cutting blade. Naruto twirled a kunai around his finger before channeling Wind chakra into the blade. Then he slashed through the water, making it harmless.

"Gotta do better than _that_!" He taunted. The shark-like shinobi grinned evilly, showing every pointed tooth. "I'll make note of it." He made a single seal before rushing at Naruto.

"Gonna try close range now, huh?" Naruto asked. He charged more energy into his kunai. "Bring it." Kajika slid to a stop a few feet away, and Naruto decided to take the fight to him. It was what Kajika was waiting for.

"Water Style: Hand of Waves!" He thrust his hand out at Naruto, shooting a blast of high-pressure water from his palm. Naruto was hit in the chest and knocked back. Kajika walked slowly toward the soaking shinobi.

"Better?" He asked, while still a ways away. Naruto clambered back to his feet. "Better." He acknowledged. He formed his signature cross-shaped seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Three more of Naruto appeared and ran at the Mist-nin. Kajika made a few more seals.

"Water Style: Black Clouds!" A small cloud appeared above each clone's head, dousing them. Naruto began to laugh, and the clones followed suit. "What's _that_ supposed to do, give them a cold?"

"Actually," Kajika began as he pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb attached. "That jutsu douses an area with flammable liquid." He smiled sadistically as he threw the kunai. It landed close to the clones, who now knew what was coming. Their eyes widened as the explosion burned them away.

"What was the point of that?" Naruto wondered out loud. "The explosion itself would've killed them." "I made it bigger." Kajika said sinisterly. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "….Right." He formed the seal once more, making just one clone, who started forming the Rasengan. He placed his hand on it, making it grow.

"Let's get back in the fight." They ran at Kajika, who made more seals. "Water Style: Destruction Torrent!" He formed a small hurricane in his hand before tossing it to the ground. When it touched, it spun rapidly, growing bigger and meeting Naruto as he ran.

"Giant Rasengan!" The two Naruto cried together as they drove the attack into the twister. "Fool! It will only repel you!" Kajika laughed. "You know what? I learned something from my master." Naruto revealed.

"And what was that, trash?" "Opposite spirals cancel!" The attacks dispersed, with Naruto and his clone still flying at the Mist-nin. The fist clone kept going, crashing his fist into Kajika, knocking him into the air. The real Naruto leapt off the clone's back, and the clone made three more. Those three slid across the ground as Kajika fell to earth again, each throwing out a leg that sent him flying back into the air.

"Repel _this_!" Naruto cried as he spun through the air, Kajika sailing up to meet him. "Uzumaki Barrage!" He dropped his combat boot onto the Mist-nin's face, sending him dropping to the ground like a stone. He crashed into the ground and burst like a balloon, sending water flying everywhere.

"Damn! Water Clone!" Naruto landed in the water, unknowingly hitting Kajika's trap. "Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!" Kajika reappeared, causing the water at Naruto's feet to swirl up and trap him. Kajika had his hand pressed to the sphere, unable to take it away.

"Now, to get rid of the clones." He muttered. He made a few more seals. "Water Clone Jutsu!" Three more Kajika formed from extra water and began making seals themselves. "Water Style!" They called out in unison. "Ice Darts Jutsu!" They each opened their mouths wide, shooting icy projectiles at their clone counterparts. They dodged expertly, coming together to try and cast a jutsu. They stood in a box formation, each taking a point. One had his back to Kajika. The three closest to the Water Clones started rapidly shelling out chakra to the original clone. A shrieking sound caused the audience to cover their ears as the jutsu formed. The green sphere whirled at an unnatural speed as the glowing blades pulsed. It looked like the attack had been formed perfectly for the first time, and it wasn't even the real Naruto that did it.

"Let's go!" They cried together. The three newer clones turned and ran point, while the other clone ran behind them. The six clones in front met in the middle of the arena and began to grapple. Each of Naruto's three clones channeled their chakra.

"Shadow Clone Explosion!" They detonated, taking Kajika's clones with them in a massive smoke cloud. The middle of the cloud was blown away when the last clone burst through the cloud with his attack that screamed like a Comanche warrior.

"Wind Style: Rasengan!" The clone flew right past Kajika, striking the Water Prison. Kajika leapt away as the water began to hurricane around Naruto. His clone dispersed, and he stood atop the whirlpool, shaking his watery hair from his eyes and holding another Rasengan in his hand.

"That didn't last long. Didn't even lose my breath." He boasted. Kajika glared at him. "Water Style: Water Dragon Whip!" Seemingly without seals, Kajika formed an orb in his hand that shot tendrils of water at Naruto, who leapt from the vortex and rushed the Mist-nin. He had halfway closed the distance when three whips stabbed into him.

"Damn it." He rasped. Then he casually tossed the Rasengan and disappeared. Kajika's eyes were widening when Naruto burst from the ground, grabbed the Rasengan, and thrust it into Kajika's chest.

"Fake-Out Rasengan!" At the same time Kajika slammed his orb into Naruto's side. The whip-like tendrils burst out of the back of the sphere, through Kajika's hand, and the tips focused on Naruto like the heads of snakes. They plunged forward, striking at the blond boy.

The two fell away from one another, Kajika's shirt and hood torn away, chest a pulpy mess, hand nearly gone, and Naruto with multiple deep stab wounds. Both of them managed to get back to their feet, getting close to unconsciousness. Kajika snapped the fingers of his intact hand and something flew from one of Naruto's wounds. It was a small, blue scale.

"This," Kajika said. "Is a scale from Kisame Hoshigaki's Samehada." He said breathlessly. From it, I've been able to make hundreds of synthetic scales, but I have to have the original for them to work." He reached into his weapons pouch, pulling out a hunting knife that looked almost exactly like Samehada, except that it had a handle like a sai. The scale shuddered in Kajika's hand and shot into a bare spot in the middle of the blade. The entire blade began to glow a soft blue, bathing Kajika in the light.

"It has all the abilities of the original." He whispered reverently. He smiled as the hilt of the knife began drawing into his hand, leaving the blade jutting from his palm. "I placed this scale on you at the beginning of our fight." Kajika said.

"It's been sapping your chakra, and you didn't even notice, because you have so much!" His injuries were healing quickly, due to the transfer of Naruto's chakra into Kajika's body. His hand was already healed, and his chest was in the progress.

"Come now, Jinchuriki. Heal yourself so we can make this a real fight." Naruto bristled at being called Jinchuriki, anger building. Kajika smirked. Naruto let his tenant's chakra flare for an instant, smoke pouring from his wounds as they closed.

"Excellent." Kajika said. He charged at Naruto once more, leading with his right hand, containing the pseudo-Samehada blade. Naruto brought out a kunai, knowing better than to channel chakra into it. Samehada would just absorb it. They met in a clash of sparks and the squeal of the fake Samehada. Naruto broke away to regroup, trying to think of a way to defeat this enemy.

"Alright, let's try the Wind Style: Rasengan." He muttered to himself. "I'll need some time." He formed the cross sign again. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A thousand copies of Naruto appeared to do battle with Kajika as three more formed in front of the original.

"Let's get started guys. The longer we charge it, the stronger it gets…right?" Naruto reasoned. "Sounds good, boss." They replied. Naruto sweat dropped for a second, forgetting that, as clones of himself, they didn't know anything more than he did. Naruto began supplying chakra, the one on the left began forming it, and the one on the right began to infuse the Wind chakra. The Naruto in front was actually used as a decoy to protect the attack incase an opponent managed to get close to them.

"You can't fool me, Leaf bastard!" Kajika screamed. "Water Style: Water Dragon Whip!" The Naruto clones were getting destroyed ten at a time from each whip, and there were at least ten of them shooting across the arena.

"We've only got a few seconds left guys!" The decoy shouted. The others nodded, and the original broke away. "You guys know what to do?" They nodded. The two turned to the decoy, who held out his hands. The two began forming the chakra for two more Rasengan. When the Spiral Spheres were completed, the two that formed them lifted them from the hands of the giver, who made one more seal before being struck down.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Then he was struck by a flailing tendril. However, another thousand clones appeared. Instead of simply trying to run interference this time, they took to the offensive, rushing the Mist-nin. Kajika scoffed and began killing the clones once more.

"_Go!_" The original Naruto screamed as he began to run, Rasengan toting clones following in hot pursuit. Any clone that could get close was ducking under or jumping over the tendrils of water that were striking out indiscriminately. Only about four made it through, but that was enough. The first hit Kajika's arm, moving the orb that controlled the whips, keeping them out of reach. While Kajika drove his Samehada into that clone, dispelling it, the other three knocked him forward with powerful strikes, sending him flying at the three incoming attackers.

"Damn it!" Kajika cried as the original Naruto leapt high over him. The two clones caught the Mist-nin in the chest as he got close. "Double Rasengan!" The assault threw him back at the original, who was about to complete the combo.

"Strike three! Wind Style: Rasengan!" The hit was solid against Kajika's back, enveloping him in a miniature tornado that tossed him high into the air, looking like he was done. He hit the ground in the middle of the three Naruto with a disgusting crunching noise. Naruto dispelled his last two clones, thinking the battle was over. But he was mistaken.

"What are you doing?" Kajika's voice was deceptively steady for someone on the way out. "This isn't over." He rose, the front of his body almost completely torn away, but slowly healing from the pseudo-Samehada. Kajika gave a bone-chillingly creepy smile as he held up his right hand. Naruto saw the blade of the knife slowly sinking into the healing flesh as Kajika's skin took on a bluish hue.

"What the-?" Naruto began. "It's time for you to die, Jinchuriki." Kajika rasped, voice becoming deeper. The guttural growl of a killing monster. The only thing not changing about the Mist-nin's body was his soulless eyes, the tattoos underneath, and his legs. The rest was morphing into something hideous. His head elongated into a long fin, his hair falling out in clumps.

"_GGgggrarrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaa!_" He called. His shoulders split as gills appeared on them leading up his neck. A tail shot from his lower back to curl behind him. His forearms tore, fins snapping out and reaching farther back from his elbows. His fingers webbed and became claws.

"_Water Style: Water Prison Shark Dance!_" A bubble of water appeared around him. At a flick of a fin the bubble encased the entire battlefield, leaving the spectators outside.

"_Now, I'm _unstoppable_!_" Kajika declared. Naruto was holding his breath, trying not to let it out. Kajika laughed a horrible, distorted laugh that sent many audience members into a terrified state.

"_I'm afraid that won't work. This water will be here as long as I am. _It's time for you to die!" The shark-man moved fast as lightning in this water, clearing the distance between them in seconds and leaving no time to counter.

"_I also have all the abilities of Samehada in this form!_" He cried. Naruto could feel his chakra drain from the touch of the almost demonic Kajika. A light bulb went off in Naruto's head. Demon. He closed his eyes, getting in touch with his spiritual side. When his eyes flicked open again, they were slitted and red. His hair thickened, claws and fangs sprouted, and his whiskers became more prominent. He let out a roar of his own, blasting Kajika and the water away from him. Kajika was weary of getting close again, but the water returned to covering the fox-boy.

"_You'll still drown._" Kajika pointed out. "_I'll just wait it out._" Naruto smirked, showing his canines. Red chakra bubbled out from all over his body, hissing as it touched the water. "_It's evaporating._" Kajika realized with shock and awe. But he shook himself out of it and charged again, not noticing the three tails flowing behind his opponent.

"You may be a beast without a tail, but _I've got three!_" Naruto exclaimed. He formed a Rasengan and it pulled water into it. Soon, all the water was swirling. The level was sinking, and both realized that the Rasengan was _absorbing_ the water. Naruto grinned ferally.

"It's over!" Kajika was fighting the current that pulled him toward the death ball, and was cutting a straight path for the Uzumaki. Naruto dropped his chakra shroud, putting all the energy into the Rasengan just as Kajika got in range.

"Hurricane Fox Rasengan!" The attack blew a hole straight through Kajika's shark belly, a wave of spiraling wind and water blowing past him. The wind twisted like a serpent as it weaved around the field before coming back at Kajika's exposed back. It changed, taking the form of a fox with nine tails, paws outstretched to bring Kajika back to hell with it. There wasn't anything left behind but muddy water along the floor of the arena.

* * *

><p>The final match was being called, Naruto vs. Sasuke, but it was interrupted by the shaking of the arena. Each Jonin stood, taking up sentry posts, as the Chunin set up a perimeter around the civilians, and any other ninja got prepared for whatever was coming up. A huge pair of wings shot from the earth in the middle of the arena, pulling what had to be a massive body of some sort along with it.<p>

When the beast finally broke through the ground, it was enormous. It was a gigantic four-legged beast covered in jagged white armor. In places where the armor had chipped or broke away, you could see swirling black energy. The head was that of a lion, face covered with an orange mask. A green mane flared out behind it and demonic red eyes shone from under an orange unicorn horn that jutted from the mask. Where the mane ended, close to the neck, was the skull of a bird that connected seamlessly to the armor around it. Its wings were covered in the same bony armor, but had sharp, black feathers along the edge. An armored tail whipped around behind it. Halfway down, it separated into two trunks, each ending in a snake's head.

Standing atop the beast, each with a hand on the spiraling horn, was Ichi, Ni, and San, obviously _not_ dead like everyone thought. With a look to the Kage box, the three of them sank into the beast's head, taking control. The shinobi from the audience got ready to jump into the arena to combat the beast, but a barrier of water kept them from jumping from the openings into the fray. The only boxes not covered were the Kage box and the competitors' box. The windows from the competitors' box shattered and the Konoha Twelve, plus the Sand Siblings and Team Yuzaga leapt down. Then the glass from the Kage box shattered, revealing Yagura, the Mizukage.

"Calm yourselves, Genin." He ordered. Kajika landed next to him, kneeling. "My Lord, I've immobilized the shinobi from the audience, what should I do now?" The Mizukage thought for a second.

"You get Sasuke." He decided. "Go all out, but keep him alive." Kajika smiled and made some signs. "Gladly." He outstretched his hands and a bubble of water rose up around Sasuke. Naruto leapt in at the last second, both being captured. Kajika snapped his fingers and the orb rose. It followed Kajika as he left the arena.

"We've gotta follow them!" Sakura cried. The Mizukage trained his eyes on her. "You'll be too busy dealing with my Chimera." He vowed. Just as he said, the Chimera flapped its wings, battering the Genin below it with gale-force winds as it rose up and left the arena.

Yagura made a seal and shimmered, before his appearance changed. He was now a white-haired man with blood-red eyes, dressed in an over-sized, sleeveless, high-collared coat wrapped with three leather straps.

"Ladies and gentlemen." He announced, voice amplified so all could hear. "My name is Hiruko! I am a missing-nin from Konohagakure! I was friend to the legendary Sannin! But Konoha betrayed me! I have joined Lord Orochimaru's Sound Village! I have returned to claim Konoha's Kekkei Genkai, so I can be immortal!" There were gasps and screams from the crowd, but a woman's voice was louder.

"Genin of Konoha!" They looked to the Kage's box. Tsunade was standing in the broken window, hailing her students. "I'm assigning you an S-Rank mission!" She pointed at the retreating Chimera. "You are to defeat the Chimera, and protect Iwagakure!" The ten that were left vanished, taking off after the Chimera.

"Don't just stand there, Yuzaga!" Onoki declared from beside her. "Protect our home!" Team Yuzaga nodded and vanished as well. "Let's go." Gaara rasped to his siblings. The Sand Siblings disappeared too.

* * *

><p>"Tsunade, does this mean you're the only one to welcome me?" Hiruko mocked. She leapt down to stand before him. "Jiraiya, Kakashi!" She roared behind her. The Toad Sage and the Copy Ninja appeared next to her.<p>

"Jiraiya, my old friend." Hiruko acknowledged. "And Kakashi, just the man I wanted to find. Your Sharingan is the last piece of the puzzle to immortality."

"You'll never get the Sharingan." Kakashi vowed.

* * *

><p>Kajika landed in the stone passageway into the village. The bubble of water burst as it touched the ground, releasing his captives. Kajika glared at Naruto.<p>

"You're not the one I need." Naruto glared back. "How'd you survive our fight?" "Fool. I replaced myself when I transformed. That's why you had it so easy. I haven't _begun_ to show my true power!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke called. "Let's get rid of this guy and get back to the arena. I think everyone's gonna need some help." The blond nodded. "Sounds good." He formed a clone, who began shelling the chakra for the Rasengan. Sasuke smirked and formed the seals for the Chidori. They grasped hands and charged.

"You think something so slow will hit me?" Kajika cried. But before his eyes the two vanished. Kajika whirled around, searching for his opponents. "_Behind you!_" Kajika turned around to meet the two Leaf-nin at close range.

"ChidoRasenri! One-Thousand Spiraling Birds!" The assassination jutsu stabbed through the Mist-nin, releasing the bird-shaped chakra bombs that flew high. The Kajika around their arms turned into a puddle of water, and the two Leaves jumped away. The water rose up, forming into Kajika once more.

"Water Clone." He boasted. He didn't know about the now-spiraling bird-shaped bombs that were drilling through the air toward him. He heard the whistling as they got close, and he turned around again. Naruto and Sasuke jumped further back as Kajika all but exploded.

"Haha!" Naruto laughed as he slapped Sasuke on the back. "Don't think I'll be killed so easily." Kajika rasped from the smoke cloud. He leapt high, clearing the smoke, forming hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Snake's Mouth!" He pointed both arms at the two Leaf-nin and the ground rumbled beneath their feet. They looked away from the village, toward the entrance to the passage. A roaring wall of water was bearing down on them. As they watched, the waves took the form of a giant serpent with fangs bared. The snake crashed into them, but they managed to get above it, using chakra to now stand on the raging water. The snake vanished, just leaving a rushing river heading straight for the village.

"No!" Naruto cried. "We've gotta save the village!" "You need to think about saving yourselves!" Kajika exclaimed. "Water Style: Flash Grinding Destruction!" He slammed a hand down onto the water.

"Nothing happened." Naruto muttered. "Naruto!" Sasuke called. Naruto turned to him. His Sharingan was spinning. "Look out!" The blond looked down and was knocked into the air by four sharks made of water. Each shark took an appendage in its watery jaws and spread him in the air. The sharks turned red from Naruto's blood.

"This is the end for you!" Kajika cried as he leapt up, pseudo-Samehada ready to stab in the center of the captured boy's chest. "Naruto!" Sasuke cried. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" He spat four fireballs, each destroying a shark and freeing the Uzumaki.

"Thanks Sasuke!" Naruto yelled back. He pulled out a kunai. "Come on then!" He screamed. He charged it full of his chakra and threw it at Kajika. "Fool!" Kajika exclaimed. He parried the kunai with his knife, sucking out the chakra in the process. He grabbed the kunai out of the air and launched it back at Naruto.

"Don't forget about me!" Sasuke yelled, appearing in the knife's path and grabbing it. He made a hand sign and the kunai erupted in lightning. He threw it back at Kajika. "You're a Water-nin, so I'd guess you don't like Lightning chakra too much!"

"Just try it!" Kajika cried, knocking the kunai away. "Damn it!" He screamed as the lightning was absorbed by the fake Samehada, shocking the wielder. "I'll kill you!" He raced at Sasuke, but stopped, clutching his head. He began to scream again, as if Sasuke's lightning had entered his mind.

"Kajika…" The Mist-nin rasped in a very different, very familiar voice. "Why would you disobey me?" Kajika hit his knees. "I'm taking over. We can't have you harming my Sasuke, can we?" Kajika looked up at Sasuke and Naruto, eyes slitted and gold. His tattoos had disappeared, replaced by purple marks from his eyes along the bridge of his nose.

"Hello…Sasuke." Orochimaru hissed. Sasuke took a half-step back, but remembered his pride. "Ha. I can sense your fear." The possessed shinobi grinned evilly, tongue flicking out, tasting the air. "Sadly, I am limited to this fool's jutsu while in his body. But I will claim you on this day, Sasuke Uchiha!" Orochimaru forced Kajika's limbs under his will, making hand signs.

"Water Style: Ice Darts Jutsu!" He spat the attack, albeit much more powerful and with more of the icy spikes than Kajika could ever utilize. Sasuke stepped up. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" He exclaimed, unleashing his jutsu to melt the ice. The ice melted, but hidden in the darts were kunai that stabbed into the Uchiha, causing him to fall back.

"Water Style: Destruction Torrent!" Kajika's arms shot out, both releasing a shotgun blast of water that crashed into Naruto, knocking him away. "Water Dragon Whip!" The tendrils picked up Sasuke, lifting him high into the air.

"Time to go, Sasuke." Orochimaru laughed.

* * *

><p>"Haha! You'll have to do better than <em>that<em> Tsunade!" Hiruko roared with delight as he dodged another of the Slug Princess' super powered punches with his Swift Style Ninjutsu.

"Tsunade, this is crazy!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Let me try!" He made a few seals. "Earth Style: Dark Swamp!" He placed his hands on the ground and the area under Hiruko turned into a pit of dark red mud. Hiruko laughed.

"Good, but not good enough, my old friend!" He stripped the bandages away from his left hand, revealing two overlapping squares tattooed on the palm. "Dark Style: Inhaling Maw!" The top square glowed, sucking the swamp under him into it. Kakashi and Tsunade gasped, but Jiraiya wasn't surprised.

"You're still working on that jutsu, aren't you Hiruko?" The white shinobi laughed uproariously, crazily. "_Working_ on it? I've _perfected_ it! With Kakashi's assimilation, I'll be _perfect_! _Immortal_!" He thrust his palm at the three ninja.

"Dark Style: Judgment!" The bottom square glowed, releasing blue flames that forced the three legendary ninja to put distance between themselves and their attacker. Hiruko make more hands seals.

"Storm Style: Thunder Cloud Inner Wave!" They caught one last glimpse of the half of Hiruko's they could see before his body expelled black clouds that obscured him from view. The clouds crackled and sparked erratically.

"I'll take care of this." Kakashi said, lifting his headband from his eye. "Sharingan!" He made seals and held his hand out. A circle of lightning cracked around him, sending sparks up to his hand. He took off with enough speed that the ground behind him tore.

"Get back, Kakashi!" Tsunade roared. A blast of lightning came from the cloud, intent on striking Kakashi down. The Copy Ninja lunged, letting the shot go right past as he continued to attack. However, when he got close the clouds let out a wave of lightning that propelled him away. A glow came from the heart of the cloud, sucking the lightning off of Kakashi's arm. There was a sudden break in the clouds, and Kakashi felt something flash past him.

Jiraiya looked down and saw Hiruko crouched, holding lightning in his hand. "Lightning Blade!" He rasped and thrust the attack into the Toad Sage's stomach. He pulled his arm out, lightning still flaring, and whirled, slashing his hand across Tsunade's stomach. Tsunade grabbed his hand and delivered a massive punch that cracked Hiruko's neck and sent him tumbling back into his clouds.

"He'll be out for a minute." She said, bending to heal Jiraiya.

* * *

><p>"Extreme Tempered Ultimate Attack: Shukaku's Pike!" Gaara roared, throwing the spear at the giant Chimera. It was made of hard-packed sand, and had blood-red symbols on the four-pronged blade. Like the name, 'Ultimate Attack,' it hit the beast's armor, sticking deep into the monster's body. It screeched in pain.<p>

In its thrashing, the Chimera had already demolished several buildings, and most of the village. It flicked its wings trying to keep aerial, hitting the large tower in the middle of the village, destroying it.

"Hey!" Yuzaga cried out from the sidelines of the battle. "That's the Tsuchikage's building!" He thought for a second. "Damn it! That's _my_ building!" "This isn't the time!" Jikai berated him. "We've gotta kill that thing!" Yuzaga made a face before stepping toward the battle.

"I'm going out there." He said. "I'm not gonna hide here. Gramps said to protect the village." He glared at Nicolette, who had pulled him and his cousin here just after the fighting started. He took another step and she shot her hand out, grabbing his hand.

"It's dangerous. I'm trying to protect _you_." "I'm the next Tsuchikage. I'm not gonna die here." He told her with a smile. He let go of her hand. "I'll be back." He looked to his cousin. "Let's go, Jikai." The redhead nodded.

"There you are, Stone-nin. We have been looking for you." Lee said as he landed next to them. "This Chimera creature is a most powerful opponent indeed." He was still bruised from his fight with Naruto, and probably shouldn't have been fighting, but there was no telling the Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village.

"Yeah. We're here to fight." Yuzaga declared. "About time!" Kiba exclaimed as he sailed through the air, crashing into the rubble of a broken building. He came out in his Tunneling Fang jutsu, streaking toward the creature once more.

"It hasn't even used any techniques yet!" Neji said incredulously. "All this damage is just from it rampaging." He ducked, Byakugan activated, as Choji came flying past in Boulder form. He bounced against the ground, ricocheted off a wall, and flew back at the beast, growing bigger and bigger. The wall he hit fell over.

"Cha!" Sakura's voice sounded as the wall split before hitting the ground. Sakura had delivered a powerful punch to keep the wall from crushing her, Ino, Hinata, and Shikamaru, who was laying in the dirt with Ino and Sakura pouring chakra into him. There were multiple black feathers sticking out of him.

"Damn." Yuzaga muttered. He had a lot of respect for the intelligent Leaf-nin. "_Yo!_" He called out in an amplified voice. All the Genin looked to him, and he motioned them over behind another wall. Choji landed and gingerly picked Shikamaru off the ground.

* * *

><p>"Alright, listen. We're not going about this the right way." Yuzaga said. "We've gotta do this right, or there won't be a village to save. This is my home." "What do you suggest we do?" It was Neji. "We need a plan." Yuzaga said.<p>

"You're no Shikamaru." Ino said. Yuzaga raised his eyebrow. "I'm pretty smart in my own right. Now, I've been analyzing you Leaf-nin." He turned to Gaara and his family. "And you Sand-nin. And I think I've got the most powerful players right in my head. Jikai and Gaara, front force. You two are Jinchuriki, and the strongest of us here."

"Ok. I trust you, Yuzaga." Jikai said. He looked to Gaara, who nodded imperceptibly. "Ok." Yuzaga said. "You guys," He pointed to Sakura and Ino. "Stay here and heal anyone that gets wounded." Both of them nodded. He looked to Shino. "Protect them."

"Right." They said together. "You." He pointed at Choji. "Keep throwing yourself at the thing with that jutsu you were just using." He pointed to Neji and Hinata. "Keep him bouncing back with your Rotation technique. Everytime he comes back, I need you two to send him back with twice the power. Like a cannonball."

"Right." "R-r-right." Yuzaga nodded. He looked at Kiba. "I want you and the dog to keep using Fang Over Fang. Keep circling back, but look out for him." He pointed at Choji. Kiba smirked. "Got it. Right, Akamaru?" The dog barked.

"When the time comes," He pointed at Lee, Neji, and Hinata. "You three need to strike from above, hitting it with Taijutsu. Aim for the head." "What about us?" Kankuro asked, pointing to him and his sister.

"From what I've seen in the battles, your attacks won't work on such a big opponent." He said to Kankuro. He looked at Temari. "And you can't use your wind jutsu and not hit everyone on our side too." They looked down, but nodded.

"I'm sorry." Yuzaga said sincerely. "What will you do?" Gaara asked quietly. "I don't want to seem conceited, but I'm one of the strongest shinobi of this group. However, I can't frontline fight on the level Jikai can, or even Gaara. They outclass me." He looked to Shikamaru, who was laid out unconscious.

"She was right." He pointed at Ino. "I'm no Shikamaru, but I'm guessing he's the guy that usually commands you all. The general, am I right?" Everyone nodded. Yuzaga sighed. "I have to watch over you all, and make sure my plan goes right."

"That's a cute plan." Three voices said together. The shinobi on the ground stiffened, realizing they hadn't heard the sounds of destruction in quite some time. They looked up to see the Chimera floating above them with Ichi, Ni, and San emerging to the waist from the creature's head.

"It's a shame it won't work." The bony armor that covered the wings cracked away, revealing the rest of the black feathers. They all shifted, pointing at the group.

"Uh-oh." Yuzaga looked back at the others. "_Take cover!_" He screamed, just as the feathers began to fire.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke was dangling in the air from Orochimaru's Water Dragon Whip, and was struggling to escape. He flicked his eyes at Naruto, discreetly setting him in Genjutsu.<p>

"Go help fight Hiruko!" He commanded. "I can do this!" Naruto looked up at his friend, dazed. "Fine." He said dully. "If you're sure." He turned and leapt away. Orochimaru began to chuckle.

"Using Genjutsu on your friend to make him leave. That's not very nice. But…maybe this means you've decided to let me take you?" He said hopefully. Sasuke glared. "_You'll never take me_!" He unzipped his jacket and let it fall, not wanting to tear it apart.

"I just didn't want Naruto to see what I'm about to do!" There were two holes cut in the back of Sasuke's mesh shirt. Orochimaru morphed Kajika's facial muscles into a gross bastardization of a smile.

"You know, the Curse Mark will bring you to me." He gloated. "Even if you defeat me with it today, you'll never stop the power." Sasuke glared at him. "Maybe. But now's all I'm worried about!" Black flame markings spread across his skin, and a purple chakra exploded around him, bursting the tendrils away and dropping to the ground.

The markings grew, covering his skin in black that faded to grey. His hair turned blue as a black shuriken mark blossomed on his nose. The hand-shaped wings stretched out from the holes in Sasuke's mesh shirt, giant 'fingers' flexing.

"You want me? Come get me." He snarled, jerking the kusanagi from its sheathe. Kajika grinned maniacally before racing forward at the Uchiha. "_You asked for it_!" He made seals.

"Water Style: Sword of Draining!" He held out his hand, forming a mirror of Sasuke's kusanagi from water. He flicked the blade, sending drops flying. "You know, subconsciously, you're taking after me, Sasuke." Kajika hissed as they began dueling.

"Oh?" Sasuke growled. "The kusanagi is my signature weapon!" Orochimaru declared. "Except I use the original. The sacred blade. Both blades we wield are shoddy imitations!" The Snake Sannin was a far superior swordsman, and was keeping Sasuke on his toes. Little did he know that Sasuke was just biding his time, channeling energy. Their blades clashed once more, and they stood at a stalemate. It was Sasuke's time.

"Lightning Style: Kusanagi!" The blade screeched as sparks danced down the metal. They leapt from Sasuke's sword to Kajika's, lighting the Mist-nin's body up with electrocution. Kajika hit his knees and Sasuke moved away. The Mist-nin looked up and glared hatefully into Sasuke's Sharingan.

"It's time for me to leave." Orochimaru's voice rang out. "I sense things aren't going well with my associates." Sasuke's eyes caught the change in Kajika's chakra, but was unable to defend from the resulting explosion that claimed the shark-like shinobi's body.

* * *

><p>Right as Sasuke was commanding Naruto to leave, Yuzaga was shifting the rock from his body. The black feathers had enough power to pulverize stone, and had brought another building down on top of the Genin. Yuzaga quickly surveyed his troops, searching for someone who could fight.<p>

Akamaru was digging Kiba out from under some rubble, but a rock pillar lay across his legs. He was useless. Lee's bandaged arm was all that poked out from a large pile of rock. Blue light shone under it and the stones were blown away. Neji stepped into view, feathers sticking out of him. He carried Hinata over one shoulder, a feather sticking from the center of her chest, digging deep, and Lee over the other. Once his cousin and teammate were safe, he dropped to his knees and shifted to the ground. Yuzaga looked in the other direction.

Choji had gone to protect Shikamaru and the girls, stretching his body and attracting a mass of feathers that had put him out of commission as well. Ino and Sakura were still conscious, but paralyzed with fear. Shino was battle ready, but wouldn't do much good against the threat of the Chimera. Temari and Kankuro had vanished from view, but Gaara was standing with a wall of sand in front of him. Hundreds of feathers were embedded in the shield, but Gaara was untouched. He couldn't see anyone else, but could feel Jikai's aura behind him. He turned to see an orb of flames that had burned the feathers away before they could get close.

"Well, it looks like it's just us three." He said with a hopeful smile. Jikai almost made a reply, but his eyes widened, staring behind him. Yuzaga whirled, seeing the snake-headed tails pointed straight at him, both mouths wide open, with a Spinning Snake Thorn ready to fire. San's voice rang out from the beast.

"This is for earlier." The first shot fired, moving with incredible speed. Yuzaga tried to move, but his leg wouldn't respond. He looked down, seeing a black feather sticking out of his thigh, just above the knee. He wasn't going anywhere. He froze, never facing certain death before. But he didn't have to face it now either. A body leapt in front of him, arms outstretched as she sailed through the air. The projectile hit the stomach, just under her breasts, and blew straight through the other side. The interference was enough to make it soar past Yuzaga's ear, burrowing into the dirt behind him. He stared as the body impacted right beside him.

"N-N-N-Nicolette?" The girl smiled up at him despite the fist-sized hole in her abdomen. She reached up with trembling fingers and plucked the feather from Yuzaga's leg, washing healing chakra over the wound. With his mobility regained, the distraught shinobi picked her up, holding her close to his body.

"Why?" He asked, trembling. He was numbly aware of Jikai moving in front of them to ward off more attacks, with Gaara providing cover from a longer range. She kept smiling, putting a hand against his cheek.

"I…had to…save you." She rasped, still smiling. He smiled back, sadly. She looked like she was going to say something else, but her eyes were blank now. Yuzaga clutched her closer, thinking back.

"_She really cared about me."_ He realized. _"No, I'm not just realizing it either. I knew it, and I ignored it. I pushed her away as I pushed myself to get better. I never did anything for her, and she sacrificed herself…"_ He placed her body safely behind him, knowing nothing else was going to happen. He was finally going to protect her.

"Get back!" He roared. Jikai stumbled, looking back at him. He saw the fury in his cousin's eyes and stepped away, watching over his fallen teammate's body. Yuzaga's face was a mask of rage, and pain, and hurt, and he clenched his fists as he screamed to the Chimera.

"_Why?_ Why did you come to my village? My _city!_ My home!" Tears of rage dripped down to the rocks below as laughter from the three inside the beast echoed across the valley.

"Please. What are you when compared to legendary shinobi like Lord Orochimaru?" The voices rang out together. Yuzaga clapped his hands together. Bright light shone from around his hands as he separated them. It was the Dust Style technique from before, but it morphed as Yuzaga held it in one hand, close to his face. It illuminated his resolve as the transparent sphere vanished, leaving the shining core floating above his palm.

"I'm a protector!" He screamed. "From now on, this place, the people, my teammates, my family, and my friends, I'll protect them all!" He pointed his hand at the creature.

"And from now on, you'll be the dust that blows through the cliffs of my home." He vowed. "Dust Style: Particle Cannon!" He unclenched his fingers, splaying them as the sphere vanished and instantaneously reappeared in front of the Chimera. It alighted onto the beast's horn and expanded, encasing them in the light. Then there was nothing left. Yuzaga kept glaring at the spot where the beast caused so much pain, then clutched his chest and fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>Hiruko had been dominating the fight for as long as the fight had been going. He'd stripped his coat away, as well as the bandages covering his chest, arms, and face. He was a scary looking individual, badly scarred from so many operations on his own body. There were scars all across his chest, and an empty space in the middle that he said was reserved specifically for Kakashi.<p>

"We've gotta do something!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "We can't!" Kakashi cried. "He can absorb anything we throw!" Hiruko grinned ghoulishly, stretching the threads that held his mouth closed. He looked like a child's worst nightmare, or a demonically possessed scarecrow.

The light began to dim, and they all looked to the sky. Hiruko grinned wider, straining the threads close to the breaking point. It was an eclipse.

"This is what I've been waiting for. This is what will make me invincible. Come Kakashi. _Give me your eye_!" Hiruko raised his arms and the bandages he'd shed rose up with him, glinting with the shine of a blade. "Slashing Bandages!" The strips of cloth stabbed and arced and slashed, causing the three powerful shinobi from the Leaf to duck and weave and dodge until they were pressed up against the wall of the arena. They saw someone drop into the center of the field and wondered if the walls of water were gone, letting backup come, however they saw it was Naruto. Jiraiya knew he had to get Naruto to do something stupid. That kid's stupidity had gotten him out of so many situations that he'd learned to count on it, and to rely on it.

"Naruto!" He shouted. Hiruko whirled just as two thousand perfect copies of the blond ninja appeared, keeping the real one hidden. Jiraiya continued as if it hadn't happened. "Remember the jutsu I told you not to use, unless I told you?" Naruto furrowed his brows at his trainer, wondering why he'd want him to use such a suicidal attack. He refused to question it though, trusting the Pervy Sage's wisdom, and the fact that he'd never ask his pupil to use the attack if it wasn't life-or-death.

"Got it Pervy Sage!" The mass of clones struck out, rushing at Hiruko to provide a distraction, while three clones stood at Naruto's side. They each took their positions and prepared to do their parts.

"These clones won't stop me!" Hiruko vowed. "Dark Style: Judgment!" The evil blue flames roared as they washed through the ranks of the clones, obliterating half of them in one go. "Slashing Bandages!" He began cutting individual clones down with sadistic pleasure with his razor-sharp bandages.

"They're not what's meant to stop you!" Naruto cried. "This is!" The shadow that had passed over the sun slowly vanished and the light shone directly onto Naruto, leaving the powerful Genin looking like a battle-hardened veteran. It also accentuated the sphere in his hand that he held toward the sky. It was a bright blue, like his eyes, and had four piercing white blades spinning around it. It shrieked even louder than its parent jutsu.

"Try and absorb _this_!" Naruto cried as he charged. "Slashing Bandages!" Hiruko exclaimed, aiming the attacks at the original, running like a kamikaze to what was surely his death. Clones leapt in the path of the bandages at every path, halting the threat to their creator. Naruto kept closing in.

"Dark Style: Judgment!" Hiruko blasted more flames as he prepared to meet his final opponent. Clones died, and a chain of smoke filled the arena for an instant, before getting whipped away from Naruto's attack. Hiruko began running, shakily at first because of his spindly legs.

"Swift Style: _Shadowless Flight_!" He screamed as he all but vanished. He raced circles around the blond, who was now halted in the center of the raging scarecrow. "I'll _kill_ you, you worthless brat!" He skidded to a stop in front of Naruto, who took the initiative in bringing the attack toward its final destination.

"You're the only one without worth! Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" Hiruko brought his palm up just in time, absorbing the attack. Naruto's face fell, and Hiruko prepared to kill the blond with his own attack.

"You were saying?" He snarled. He held out his hand, trying to form the attack again, but he stiffened. "Wh-what's this?" He demanded. Naruto wasn't sure what he was talking about, but the white-nin was starting to glow.

"No! This can't be! I'm perfect!" Kakashi, who could see everything that was going on in the despicable human's body, explained. "There is no perfection in the shinobi world. Or in any world." Hiruko glared at his would-be absorption, but screamed as blue lights broke out along his body, slashing him like miniature blades. A massive explosion wracked the arena, throwing Naruto across the field and through the wall on the other side, and bringing the other wall down on Kakashi and the Sannin. When the smoke cleared, there wasn't anything left of Hiruko but a singed circle of earth and the echoes of his last scream.

* * *

><p><strong>That's where I'll end this chapter. Next time we'll see the aftermath of this cataclysmic battle. All the Genin are currently underneath rubble, and no-one's sure who's survived yet. What an end to the Chunin Exams! This officially ends the Chunin Exams Shippuden Arc. We're officially in the Akatsuki Arc. I haven't recieved an thoughts on the roster for the Akatsuki, so I guess I'm using the original cast, which suits me just fine. Tell me what you thought. If anything that happened in this chapter confused anyone, or they have questions, or anything like that, ask me about it. But I won't give spoilers. ;) Ja Nae.<strong>


	8. Akatsuki Rising

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**So, somehow, in the last chapter the description/opening was the same as chapter six. Dunno how it happened, but it did. But we're to chapter eight now. This chapter is a combo of the tail end of the Exams Arc, dealing with the rescue and the dead, and the Akatsuki's first appearance, and will most likely be the last chapter set entirely in Iwagakure. Last time saw the end of the Exams, the end of Orochimaru's plot, and the end of at least three lives: Hiruko, Orochimaru's main fighter in his plan, Kajika, Hiruko's main subordinate, and Nicolette Ai, a member of Team Yuzaga who died protecting the person she cared about the most. Rescue happened throughout the night, and a new day has dawned.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight: RescueAkatsuki Rising**

* * *

><p>Thankfully, amazingly, none of the fighters that took on the Chimera had perished in the collapse of the building that fell on them. All of them were on stretchers being checked out by medics, except Gaara and Jikai, who hadn't suffered any injury.<p>

"What's the word?" Jikai asked a passing medic. He was asking about his cousin, of course. "It's not an easy diagnosis. I healed his body, no problem. But there's something wrong his mind. He's suffered some kind of trauma, and won't wake up." The redheaded Jinchuriki looked to one another, one's face falling into a sad frown, the other's still the same sad frown he'd worn since childhood.

"Damn it." Jikai muttered as the medic walked away. He, of course, knew what trauma his cousin had suffered, and was affected by it himself. They'd lost a teammate, but Yuzaga's coma was brought on my his extreme guilt for ignoring Nicolette's affections while she was alive.

But Jikai was proud of his cousin as well. Though he was in pain, his proclamation that he was a protector showed Jikai that the cocky shinobi had finally adopted the right attitude to become Tsuchikage one day.

"It will be alright." Gaara said, awkwardly patting Jikai's shoulder. The Jinchuriki was still trying to get the hang of human interaction. Jikai nodded appreciatively.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had yet to be found, but Naruto held out hope. He'd heard one of the rescue teams talking about an explosion in the entrance path to the village. Naruto had been fighting there with Sasuke against KajikaOrochimaru before Sasuke forced him to leave. He was sure his friend had escaped the snake's clutches and was caught in the explosion.

He skidded to a stop atop a pile of rock that had fallen from the cliffs. There was a patch that sparked, showing Naruto that he was right, and also showing him the position of his fallen friend. He formed his seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Each Naruto began throwing away rock and digging through dirt to reach the Uchiha.

* * *

><p>Not long after the fighting ceased, Tsunade and Jiraiya left Iwa for Konoha to check on the village and to increase their defenses. So the medical staff was short one extremely powerful medic. This left Sasuke in a bed next to Yuzaga's in the Iwagakure Hospital.<p>

Every other team had already made their way to their respective homes, leaving Team Kakashi and Team Gaara the only foreign teams in the Stone Village. Sasuke was healing well, and quickly, but would still need a few more days. Gaara's team stayed behind so that the redheaded Jinchuriki could get in a few rounds with Naruto. However they too soon had to leave.

"I'm _fine._" Sasuke insisted. Sakura wouldn't listen to the Uchiha, continuing to run diagnostics checks on him, one right after the other. She was starting her fourth one in the same ten minute period when Sasuke sent a small spark throughout his body. He and Naruto laughed as Sakura was shocked into sitting back down. She looked over at Yuzaga, who was still out. It had been a week, and yet there was no change. Nicolette's funeral had came and went. Thankfully it was just her funeral. Thanks to Kajika's barrier keeping all the spectators out of the fight, Nicolette was the only casualty.

"I'm worried about him." Sakura said. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "He's fine too. He's fighting against something inside himself, and once he wins he'll be back." Whatever Sakura was about to say in return was interrupted by the entrance of Jikai, Roshi, and the Tsuchikage.

"This is sad." Onoki muttered to himself. He wasn't looking to good health-wise, the toll of his grandson's predicament laid heavily on his soul. Roshi stayed quiet, looking somber. Jikai sat down next to his cousin's bed, preparing to speak. Sasuke got off his bed, disconnecting wires and ignoring Sakura's protests. He motioned for them to follow, and the three Leaf-nin exited the room.

"I know how hard this is for you…" He started. "But this has gone on long enough." Roshi stared at his son, about to speak, but Onoki cut him off. They both stayed silent. "Yeah, this has been horrible. It affects us both. But you can't honor your promise by laying here in a hospital bed like an invalid. You can't be a protector like this." He stood up and walked past his family, leaving the room. The Leaf-nin stood outside.

"Jikai." The redhead brought his eyes up from the floor to stare at the Uchiha. "He's gonna be fine." Sasuke's eyes slipped into the Sharingan. "I can see it."

* * *

><p>"Jikai was right, Yuzaga." Onoki said quietly. "You've always been a protector, whether you realize it or not. <em>That's<em> why you're going to be the next Tsuchikage. _Not_ because you're my grandson. It's time to wake up." He tapped Yuzaga's forehead. The young shinobi's eyes shot open and he sat straight up in the bed, gasping for air.

* * *

><p><strong>Six Months Later<strong>

* * *

><p>Back in the village of Konoha, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, and Lee had been promoted to Chunin. In Gaara's village the three Sand Siblings were all Chunin as well. And in Iwa, Yuzaga and Jikai were also promoted.<p>

The rebuilding of Iwagakure was still in progress, but was being finished rapidly by the many Earth Style users in the village. More missions were being sent their way to help with the process, and things were peaceful. But that was about to change.

Two figures walked through the cliff pass leading to the village. One was tall, the other squat and round. The second wasn't walking, so much as shuffling. Both wore identical black cloaks, covered in clouds, and a straw hat on their heads. The tall figure looked very effeminate, with one visible blue eye and long blonde hair. The other's face was mostly obscured by a scrap of cloth.

"Welcome to my former home, Sasori, my man." The taller one said. A strange, almost nostalgic smile graced his face. Sasori sighed heavily, sounding like a rasp. "Wipe that grin off your face, Deidara. We're here for the organization, not for reminiscing."

"I know why we're here, my man." Deidara said indignantly. "Then stop fooling around. I hate to keep people waiting." Sasori growled. "This is your village, so this is your target."

"Yeah. I know the Jinchuriki _was_ Roshi. But he went and had a kid when I was little. Apparently, the Four-Tails got passed from Roshi to the kid…" He stopped and looked at his partner.

"Did you know that could happen?" Sasori looked back at him. "Quit wasting time with questions. We've got to go." "You mean_ I've_ gotta go, my man. You should wait here. I'll be quicker by myself." Sasori glared at him. "Just don't keep me waiting."

* * *

><p>Deidara was flying high above the buildings on a great white bird. He stayed high enough so that no one would see him here. He was surveying the land with a hidden scope over his left eye.<p>

"They're not even trying to set up a guard." He said incredulously. "They're completely focused on rebuilding." He was positively giddy with this information. What he hadn't told Sasori was that he knew his target. He was two years old when Roshi had had his child, Jikai. Being in favor with the old man himself, Deidara had played with Jikai and Yuzaga when he was a child. He'd love to sever his ties to this village completely with this one final act before he never came back.

"The thought brings a smile to my face." He said, smirking. He slid his hands under his cloak, into the bags at his waist. He opened his hands, palm down, and a mouth opened on each one. A long pink tongue stretched out and dug into the white clay in the bags.

* * *

><p>Yuzaga and Jikai were knocked to the ground as a massive explosion wracked the village. Followed by another. And another. And another. The old man was still weak from the ordeals at the Exams, and the two Chunin cousins were pretty much the village's defense while everyone else rebuilt.<p>

The two ran through the city's street's, looking for the source of the disturbance. They ran right past an odd looking white spider, crawling over the rocks. They stopped, looked at each other, and then the spider.

"I've never seen a spider like-" Jikai was interrupted by the spider detonating, proving to be one of Deidara's bombs. The two were enveloped in the explosion, not having time to defend against it. The buildings around them were blasted away, undoing a month of their work.

"That was easy, hmm?" Deidara said as his bird alighted on the ground. "A little _too_ easy. I was hoping for a challenge." He laughed. The rocks started to shift as one of the victims stood. Yuzaga moved from under the rocky covering, battered and scraped. He stared, wide-eyed at Deidara.

"Good to see you too, Yuzaga, my man." Deidara smirked crazily. He thrust his hand out at the Dust-user, spitting a glob of un-molded clay right onto the boy. "Now. You have a choice. I can blow you sky-high, or you can stand down and let me take Jikai." Yuzaga glared at the former Iwa-nin.

"Screw you!" He stabbed his arm into a broken building beside him, before running at his former ally. "Crumble-fist!" Deidara smirked again and ducked under the arm coming straight at him. He slammed both palms into Yuzaga's chest, mouths open.

"Fire Style: Burning Pressure!" Flames blasted through the mouths in his palms, sending Yuzaga flying back, jacket on fire. He crashed through several buildings before coming to a stop, unconscious. Deidara shifted through the rubble in front of him, grabbing Jikai's coat in his mouths and pulling the boy up.

"Good. You're not dead." He threw the boy to the bird, who swallowed him up to store him in its stomach. Deidara climbed back aboard the bird, taking flight once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Several Minutes Later<strong>

* * *

><p>Yuzaga blinked heavily, sitting up. He looked down at his jacket, which was only singed. "Thank Kami for fireproofing." He muttered. Then his situation caught up to him, and he stood shakily.<p>

"I've gotta get moving." He declared, running for the village entrance. He passed many of the workers, and the shinobi, of the village who were either buried in the explosions, or killed. But he couldn't stop. He was this village's protector, and as such, he had to take down the one who caused so much strife in his home.

* * *

><p>"That didn't take any time at all, Deidara. Are you sure you found the target?" Sasori rasped. "Heh. Trust me, my man. I've got who we're looking for. It's time to get to the hideout."<p>

The two of them took their time making their way through the passage. Deidara had set up fifty bombs of various sized to detonate at their own pace, spacing out so that the villagers thought the bombing was still going on. By now, Deidara knew they knew it was him that attacked, but they'd be too preoccupied to give chase.

They were getting close to the end of the passage, and would head off to their closest hideout, when they felt someone approaching. "What the hell, Deidara?! I thought you were keeping the villagers busy!" "I _am_, my man. I don't know who this could…wait a minute." They stopped just as Yuzaga came into view.

"Damn it. I thought I took care of him." Deidara muttered. "_Deidara!_" Yuzaga screamed. He slid to a stop, panting heavily and ready to get his cousin back. "Do you _know_ this maggot, Deidara?" Sasori said with a chuckle in his voice.

"Yes." Deidara sighed. "He's an old friend." His smirk never left his face. "Can you take care of this, my man?" Sasori looked at him. "Can't kill an old friend?" He asked sarcastically.

"I blew him up, my man. Twice. I can kill him easily. I just need to get moving. You're the one that hates keeping people waiting. Besides, I've already wasted too much of my art on this hellhole."

"Please, Deidara. Those little bombs of yours aren't art. Art is meant to be lasting-" "Art should be a fleeting moment!" Deidara interrupted. Yuzaga could tell this was an argument the two had more than once…a day, and he was feeling a little ignored.

"Hey, bastards!" They looked to him angrily. "Give me back my cousin, and get the hell outta my city!" They looked at each other and started to laugh. "Sure, Deidara. I'll handle your little…problem." "Thanks, Sasori, my man." Deidara turned to Yuzaga. "I guess this is goodbye, hmm?" He took flight once more, leaving the other two behind.

"Get back here, Deidara!" Yuzaga screamed. He made to run after the blonde Akatsuki member, when a metal tail shot out from under Sasori's cloak. It had a wicked point that was inches from Yuzaga's face, stopping him in his tracks.

"You're not going anywhere." "Heh. Then I guess introductions are in order." Yuzaga said, crossing his arms in an X over his chest. "I'm Yuzaga Hokori. Next Tsuchikage of the Stone Village. I'm gonna get Jikai back." Sasori laughed.

"I don't like to keep people waiting. Introducing myself is just going to waste time. Time you don't have." His tail pulled back a little, before shooting forward and wrapping around the Stone-nin. The tail began to squeeze, taking the air from the teen's lungs and putting strain on his bones. Sasori flicked the tail, sending Yuzaga crashing into the cliff-side.

"I've got nothing but time." Yuzaga said as he staggered to his feet. "Earth Style:" He began, clapping his hands together in the Snake seal. "Fissure!" He stomped the rock and the ground began to crack. The crack stretched across the earth toward the squat Akatsuki member. Sasori dove to the side, dodging the Earth Style Ninjutsu. Yuzaga heard the sound of rapid firing, and saw the cloth over Sasori's mouth get blasted off by hundreds of senbon needles shooting out. What surprised Yuzaga the most was that Sasori's head was the head of a puppet. He put his hands into the Monkey seal.

"Wind Style: Updraft!" He soared into the air, flying over the needles and setting on course for Sasori. Then he cut off the air, and made another Monkey seal. "Wind Style: Slashing Wind Scythe Blade!" He slashed a hand, and a blade of wind bit deeply into the puppet that was Sasori. No pain was felt, and all that happened was that Sasori's cloak and hat were shredded, revealing the puppet body.

It wore regular shinobi clothing, but it's lower back was completely covered by an orange shell that took the form of a mask. The scorpion tail protruded from the mask's mouth. His left arm was normal till the elbow. From there it was metal, shaped like a torpedo, with wooden dowels sticking out of it. Its puppet face was tan, and angry looking, and its hair was done up in cornrows.

"Got you." The puppet's jaws clacked as it punched out with the torpedo-arm, causing Yuzaga to fly back. "Puppet Style: Prosthetic Arm Needles!" The wooden dowels shot from the torpedo-arm, flying toward the airborne Yuzaga. The wood split apart, revealing thousands of senbon that stabbed into the Stone-nin from every angle.

"That's the end for you. I've laced your body with enough poison that you'll be dead in minutes." He saw Yuzaga getting to his feet. "Even less if you keep moving." Yuzaga smiled, and his face cracked. Bits of rock began to fall away from him, covered in Sasori's needles.

"Earth Style: Stone Armor Jutsu." Yuzaga explained. "No needles got anywhere close to me." Sasori was mildly impressed. "You utilize many different Jutsu in a very short time. You would be a worthy opponent, if I could take my time."

"Don't worry about it. Let me just show you my trump card, and you can be on your way…to Hell."

* * *

><p>"I wonder if Sasori's finished up little Yuzaga yet, hmm?" Deidara thought aloud. He was flying through the mountains, and now entering the forests that surrounded the peaks around the Stone Village. What he didn't know was that he was going to need to worry about himself soon- for there was something interesting taking place on the inside of his bird.<p>

_Jikai came to on the lip of a massive volcano. He stood and looked around, only seeing the massive, volatile mountain. There was nothing else around but blackness, but he could hear the lapping of water far below him. It was a place he'd been to before._

"_Four-Tails. Why am I here?" A roar answered him. "Helpful as always." Jikai muttered. He jumped over the lip of the volcano, no fear of burning in him as he landed on a metal grate fifteen feet down. The grate was intricately made, and if looked on from above, it was made in the shape of the kanji 'Seal' inside a circle. Jikai sat in the very center and began to meditate. The smoke from the volcano vanished and he was able to look down. He stared into the eyes of the Four-Tailed Demon Ape._

_The Four-Tails was massive, obviously, with green skin. Red fur sprouted out across his entire body, except for the hands and feet, the chest and stomach, ears, and the face. Its forehead was covered by a yellow plate that led up to horns. Its eyes were yellow, with a white pupil. There were rocky spikes that protruded from its four tails. Its canine teeth were long, but were broken. They were darker colored at the ends._

"_I don't appreciate what you did at the Exams." This statement is what got the Four-Tails speaking for the first time. __**"That wasn't my fault."**__ The deep, growling voice sounded like it was…pouting. __**"It was that damn Shukaku. If his host could've controlled him better…"**_

"_That's no excuse. If _I _could control _you_ better, it wouldn't have happened either." The Four-Tails glared at him. __**"Fine. I brought you here to curse you for eternity for getting us into this. We're going to die here."**__ Jikai's face fell._

"_I know. I wish there was something I could do…" The Four-Tails scoffed. __**"Pfft. No human would ever help a Demon like me. Don't make your last words lies."**__ Jikai bristled. "I'm no liar! I want to save us _both_! I've always wanted us to be cordial. I wanted to make the best of our situation! I want to be your _friend_, Four-Tails!" The beast's fist impacted against the grate, sending Jikai tumbling._

"_**The world can't be changed by pretty words alone!"**__ He roared. __**"And I **_**hate**_** being called Four-Tails! I'm the King of the Sage Monkeys! I was created by the Sage of the Six Paths himself! He gave me a name! Maybe things would be different if your father wouldn't have forgotten it!"**_

"_My father didn't forget your name! He told me he was too arrogant to use it! He thought he was better than you, but he realized he was wrong! He said he was better when the two of you were sealed together! It made him realize that persecution isn't the answer! That's why he's helped me so much!"_

"_**Oh, did he?"**__ The Four-Tails smiled malevolently. He was putting on a show by this point. He had some modicum of respect for this boy now, and a great deal for his last host. __**"If he's helped you so much, then what's my name?! If you think you can call me by my name, I'll give you access to all my power to use as you see fit! As partners!"**_

"_Fine. Then in attempt to save us to fight another day, I name you once more! Fight with me: _Son Goku_!"_

* * *

><p>Sasori laughed at the young nin. "You'll send me to hell? I'd like to see that happen, boy." Yuzaga smirked. "Okay then!" He slammed his hands together and drew them apart, a sphere floating between them.<p>

"What's that?" Sasori asked, intrigued. "This is power passed down by my grandfather! And I'll pass it to future generations! This is the Dust Style!" Sasori laughed again.

"That may be, but you won't live long enough to use it on me, much less pass it on!" The puppet sent its scorpion tail at Yuzaga's stomach, meaning to impale him once and for all. The tail moved so fast that Yuzaga almost couldn't keep up with it. He lowered his hands, putting the sphere in the tail's path.

"Dust Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" The sphere traveled a short distance from his hands before the tail hit it. The was a clicking sound as the tail disconnected from the puppet. The orb expanded, destroying the deadly instrument. Sasori's eyes widened.

"I wasn't sure _what_ would happen, but I didn't expect that." The older 'man' rasped. "I'm full of surprises, just like that one." "Oh?" Sasori was definitely intrigued. "In that case, I'll let you live, and maybe we'll fight again some day."

"Oh, no. You aren't leaving with me still alive. And you're _not_ gonna cheat me out of a good fight!" Sasori smiled. "You'll be alive, and I'll be leaving. I'll knock you out with one of my weaker poisons. But a high dose. I can't have you coming after me again. Then I'll _have_ to kill you."

* * *

><p>Jikai's eyes snapped open inside Deidara's clay bird. His entire body shook as he placed his hands into a set of seals. "Lava Style: Molten Armor!" He called out in a deeper voice.<p>

"What the hell was that, hmm?" Deidara wondered. The clay beneath his feet began to heat up, starting to melt the soles of his sandals. "Damn! He's awake!" Deidara leapt off the bird, quickly forming another one before making a hand-seal.

"_Ha_!" The bird that held Jikai exploded in a corona of flames. Deidara landed safely on the new bird at a lower altitude. Some of the flames from the explosion broke away and dropped quickly at the blonde Missing-nin.

"I'm coming for you, _Deidara_!" Jikai screamed. He stretched a fist out as he passed, clocking Deidara in the chest and knocking him off his bird. Both of them landed in the trees, starting a fire. Deidara crash-landed and immediately ditched his flaming cloak.

"Bastard." He muttered, looking for Jikai. He found the boy just as he leapt for the blonde. In mid-leap, Jikai transformed. His skin peeled away, leaving the blood of Son Goku. The blood of the beast. One tail flowed behind him. He bowled the Akatsuki member over, burning him further with the demonic chakra.

"Arrgh!" Deidara cried out. He put distance between the two and began to formulate a plan. "At least I'm dealing with a mindless beast." He said. "That thing has no control." The beast seemed to smile.

"**That's where you're wrong…Deidara."**It said in a mix of Jikai's and Goku's voices. **"We've teamed up. We're partners now."** Deidara's smirk vanished for a moment. Then he began to laugh. "So what?! I'll still take you out with a Bang!"

Jikai began to growl. Droplets of water and blood began to slowly separate from the beast's body. They formed into a large purple sphere before compacting into a sphere about the size of a large super-ball. Jikai opened his mouth as the ball started to descend toward him. His jaw dislocated with horrible cracks to accommodate the sphere. He swallowed it and his body began to swell. The ground cracked underneath him as he swelled bigger and bigger before he opened his mouth. All the energy he had been holding in was released with a scream.

"**Demon Style: Biju Ball!"** Jikai roared. The energy fired in a beam that flashed through the forest so fast that Deidara could make no move to dodge. The beam cut through the Missing-nin like a hot knife through butter before impacting on the ground and exploding. A large part of the forest was turned into a crater, but the fires had been put out.

"That was impressive." Jikai whipped his head around, looking for the source of the voice. It belonged to the man he'd just killed. "But a member of Akatsuki won't die so easily." Deidara burst from the ground just under the spot where he'd been standing before.

"A combination of my Earth Style: Hidden Mole Jutsu, and my Clay Clone." He said smugly. "It's a shame this little partnership didn't give you any more brain power." Jikai's eyes widened.

"**I'm the King of the Sage Monkeys! My intelligence is limitless!"** He called out, Goku taking over for a moment. White bones burst out of his body, forming a skeleton over the blood vessels. Deidara laughed again, seemingly undaunted by the threat of a two-tailed Biju.

"I thought you had control over the beast, Jikai. If you lose control like that, you'll be burning everything to the ground. Hopefully."

* * *

><p>"I won't die here, no matter <em>what <em>you do!" Yuzaga cried, rushing Sasori. He jammed his arm into the rock wall as he passed, covering it rock. "Earth Style: Crumble-Fist!" Sasori laughed lowly.

"I like your spark, kid, but it won't be enough. Puppet Style: Eight Needle Waves!" He opened his mouth, and with a sound like a machine gun, began firing rapid waves of senbon at the running Dust-user.

"Gotta do better than that!" Yuzaga called, moving his arm around in front of him. The needles caught in the rock, protecting the Stone-nin from the poisonous needles. He leapt up, dodging another spray, and brought his fist down on top of the puppet's head. He heard it crack, and jumped back.

"You cracked one of my favorite puppets…" Sasori's voice had changed from a deep rasp to a soft, almost sarcastic voice. The bottom jaw of the puppet was gone, and a large dent in the top obscured both eyes. Yuzaga was pretty happy with himself, until he looked down at his chest. Three senbon poked out of his jacket, three inches under his heart. They dripped purple poison and red blood into the dirt below him.

"Ow." He muttered, feeling the poison moving through his blood. "I told you." Sasori began. "I said I'd poison you. You should really stop moving, before you die." Yuzaga pulled the senbon out, placing his hand over the wound. He staggered over to the wall. Blood spewed from his mouth and he had to use the hand he covered his wound with to hold himself up. He dropped to his knees, hand sliding down the wall leaving a trail of blood.

"Y-you…bastard." Yuzaga gasped. Then he grinned as his blood began to sink into the stone. "Summoning Jutsu." There was a cracking noise from above, but Sasori couldn't see through the eyes of his puppet. A shadow passed over the rocks as Yuzaga's Stone Golem tossed itself over the edge of the cliffs above. It landed in a crouch on the puppet's back, crashing both large fists down upon the mask on the back. The whole puppet started to crack as a shadow leapt from the shattered puppet. The Golem thrust his arm into the ground and whirled around, pulling its giant claymore from the dirt. It went to swing it, but was stopped by a bright blue thread of chakra pulling on its arm.

"Very nice." The soft voice from before said. "I wasn't expecting you to have a puppet…" The man stepped into the light. He looked young, with wide brown eyes and short red hair. He wore teal-colored nail polish and was dressed in another Akatsuki robe. He wore his ring on his thumb. Blue strings stretched from his fingers to various places on the Stone Golem.

"Damn it. I know about you puppet-users. I don't control my Golem anymore." Yuzaga muttered. He was on his last legs, close to unconsciousness. Sasori smirked. "I haven't been myself in twenty years." He stared at the remains of his puppet. "That was one of my favorites…Hiruko." He looked back to Yuzaga. "I don't know your motivation, but you are an impressive fighter. If you don't stand down now, you won't live to see tomorrow." He warned.

Yuzaga knew he was right, but couldn't fail his cousin. He wouldn't let another team member die when he could've done something about it. But his body wouldn't respond. Sasori moved his fingers expertly, and the Stone Golem walked to its master. It threw a punch, dropping its master to the ground. It disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"I have respect for you. No one has ever destroyed Hiruko beyond repair. I want you to survive…so I'm going to give you the antidote." Sasori spoke to his opponent's knocked-out body. He reached into his robes, pulling out a stopper-ed vial of antidote. He stuck a syringe through the cork, drawing the right amount into the instrument. He turned Yuzaga over onto his back, thrusting the syringe into his abdomen, just under the puncture marks left by the senbon.

"Don't make me live to regret it." He left the pieces of Hiruko behind. As a little souvenir of his accomplishments during their battle. He didn't win, but he impressed Sasori of the Red Sand enough to live through the fight.

* * *

><p>The fight with Deidara wasn't going too well for Jikai. He was attacking with everything Goku was giving him, but Deidara was a master of tricks and deception. Everytime Jikai would land a fatal attack, he'd get blasted back from the Clay Clone exploding. He couldn't keep using his Biju Ball, because he was reducing the forest to craters. It looked like the moon. He couldn't use his Lava Style Jutsu without burning everything down. That didn't seem to bother Deidara though.<p>

"_**Jikai,"**_ Goku's voice echoed in his mind. _**"You have to give me full control. You have to trust me. Our two-tailed form isn't enough. I promise, we'll fight together, but I have to take over."**_ Jikai pondered, mindlessly dodging bombs thrown by Deidara. _"Fine."_ Jikai's body went on autopilot for a second before Goku took over.

The beast roared and muscle exploded around him, covering the blood and bones as a third tail sprouted. Goku morphed Jikai's mouth into a ghoulish grin. _**"I'm sorry, Jikai, but I don't care about this land as much as you do. I have to go all out…"**_ He ignored Jikai's protests as he weaved clawed hands into seals.

"**Lava Style: Scorching Rocks Jutsu!" **Goku opened Jikai's mouth, spewing a blast of lava that solidified into multiple boulders covered in lava. Meteors. They spread out, leaving it hard for Deidara to be able to dodge. In response, the blonde Missing-nin sent out multiple bombs, one for each meteor.

"_Ha_!" He screamed, detonating the bombs as they collided with the meteors. They canceled each other out, igniting the forest once more. Goku made Jikai smile again. **"I guess I just have to take this to the next level."** Another tail appeared and red fur grew out over the beast. Son Goku stood in all his glory, taller than anything around him but the cliffs. He reared on his back legs, beating his chest and roaring.

"There we go." Deidara smirked. He formed some seals before spitting out some clay he had been molding from both palm-mouths. He combined it, kneading it into shape. He threw it, making another seal. The bomb burst into smoke, transforming into a large-scale version of the original. It was a large dragon with a long, segmented tail.

"This is one of my specialties! The C2!" Deidara announced proudly, leaping aboard the huge clay monster. He formed a seal and three segments of the tail sucked back into the other segments. The dragon opened its mouth, launching the three segments separately. They transformed into smaller versions of the same dragon.

"Go!" Cried the Akatsuki member. The dragons flew straight at Goku's mouth. The Demon grinned before opening his mouth wide. He had no tongue, just a hole in the back of his mouth. The hole opened and Goku spewed lava all over the bombs. But, instead of detonating safely away from the beast, the bombs collided with the King of the Sage Monkeys. The detonations sent the Demon sprawling through the trees.

"Let's knock you out quick!" He formed the seal again, sending out three more dragons. The original's tail was getting dangerously short now, hopefully meaning Deidara only had a few shots left. Goku stood, waiting for the bombs to close in before jumping up over them. However, instead of them impacting against the ground, the three dragons swung around and struck Goku from behind. He was sent into the trees once more.

"This is too easy. I thought I was fighting a Biju, but it seems like I'm fighting a regular monkey." Goku's eyes snapped open once more, this time a burning red. **"You son of a bitching prick! I was given name and power by the Sage of the Six Paths long before you or anyone in your family had been a thought in Kami's head! I will burn you and that dragon with the acid of my stomach! And then you'll burn in the deepest pits of hell for the atrocities you and your organization have committed. And I'll be there too, because I've committed unspeakable acts! I'll torment you for all eternity!"** He slammed his palms onto the ground.

"**Lava Style Secret Demon Jutsu: Flower-Fruit Mountain!" **He bellowed. Molten lava burst up from the ground in a massive wave that went to crash down on top of Deidara and his dragon. Deidara took flight, finally a little worried and trying desperately to escape the burning death.

"Damn! I'm not going to get out of this without some quick thinking." Deidara acknowledged. "The C2 dragon doesn't have enough tail segments to make a hole in the flow…I'm going to have to sacrifice another part of the dragon to make a large enough hole to escape through. I can't use the wings…" He made a seal and the last three segments retracted into the dragon. The legs also drew in, and the dragon's mouth swelled up with the size of the bomb it was about to release.

"Go!" Deidara cried once more. The dragon blasted its smaller version directly into the wave. Deidara turned the dragon and flew after the bomb, detonating it a few dozen feet from himself. The lava was blasted outward, providing just enough space for Deidara to escape. _Just_ Deidara. He threw another clay figure through the hole before jumping through himself. After forming a seal, he was once more flying high above Goku atop a clay bird.

"Damn it. I know how to fix him. I hoped I wouldn't have to use it though. I won't have much clay left. Not to mention chakra…" Regardless, he dug his hands into his clay pouches and sucked in large amounts of his precious clay reserves.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Where is that pest?!" <strong>Goku screamed into the night. High above him, hiding in the clouds, Deidara finished work on his last attack. He turned his scope to the highest setting to see his target clearly before dropping and activating his bomb. It was a teardrop shaped statue with arms crossed over its stomach. When Deidara activated it the statue began to grow quickly. It began to spread its arms out.

When Goku finally looked up at the descending bomb, it stretched its arms out fully. It detonated just above Goku's head, hitting the Biju with the full force of the explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Goku was no longer there. In his place was a rapidly falling Jikai, heading straight for the bottom of the massive crater that was left by the blast. Deidara flew down at top speed, his bird opening its mouth to gobble up Jikai once more. When Deidara alighted upon the ground once more, Sasori walked out of hiding.

"That was an impressive fight." He commented. Deidara just stared. "What the fuck happened to Hiruko?!"

* * *

><p><strong>A Week Later<strong>

* * *

><p>Yuzaga was still reeling from his failure to save Jikai. When the villagers found him, he was still unconscious. He was brought to the hospital, but because of the antidote Sasori had given him, there wasn't much for them to do. They kept him for observation, but when he woke up in the hospital, he realized what had happened. He went wild, nearly destroying the entire wing of the hospital before the doctors could knock him out again. He was placed in a straightjacket, and contained. He wasn't crazy, but he kept trying to escape to track the Akatsuki members that took Jikai. He'd yet to tell anyone about Deidara being part of the attacking group. It got so bad that Onoki had to step in.<p>

Yuzaga was in a rage when he entered. "_Damn_ it, old man! Let me out of this thing!" He continued to scream for several minutes, and Onoki was happy to let him do so. When he stopped to take several gasping breaths, Onoki slapped him, sending him flying to the wall.

"Calm down, boy." Yuzaga stared at him. "I already put the word out to the other Hidden Villages. If the Akatsuki appear again, we'll be ready to send a team to assist. But you need to realize that Jikai is gone." Yuzaga began to retort, but Onoki cut him off.

"Jiraiya mentioned it before he left. With Jikai, Gaara, _and_ Naruto in the village, he wasn't sure if the Akatsuki would try anything. He told me all about his intelligence gathering. The Akatsuki is capturing Biju for the sole purpose of extracting them and re-sealing them. You may not know this, but when a Biju is extracted, the host…the Jinchuriki dies." Yuzaga's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything else for a moment.

"…Gramps…" Onoki looked at him. "What is it, Yuzaga?" The boy trembled as he looked back up at his grandfather. "It was Deidara…and a redheaded puppeteer. They're the ones who attacked the village. Actually…that was Deidara."

"We guessed Deidara had something to do with it. We saw the fires from the village, but we couldn't leave." Yuzaga looked confused. "Fires?" "Jikai transformed. We think he lost control and transformed to get more power to beat Deidara. From the massive craters left behind, Deidara went as far as to use the C3. Whatever Jikai was using, he was doing it well. Deidara had to pull out all the stops without killing Jikai…"

"I knew he wouldn't go without a fight…" Yuzaga said fondly, voice shaking. "The one you fought was Sasori of the Red Sand. He's from the Sand Village, like Gaara…" Yuzaga looked at his grandfather again.

"So…if Deidara came here to capture Jikai…then…maybe Sasori is going to Suna to capture Gaara!" He exclaimed. Onoki nodded. "I'm glad you picked up on that. I've already sent word to Konoha, but the messenger hawks can't make the flight to Suna. It's too far away. But, I'm sure that Konoha is sending a message, and a team." Yuzaga shook his head.

"That's not acceptable. I've gotta find Deidara. I've gotta kill him for this." Onoki nodded. "I thought you'd think that way. Which is why I asked Konoha to message back when they were sending a team to Suna. I said you'd be going as backup. I just got the message." Yuzaga smirked.

"You rule, old man." "You won't be going by yourself." "Oh, damn." Yuzaga muttered. "Don't tell me." "Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi." "Son of a bitch."

* * *

><p><strong>In Konoha<strong>

* * *

><p>"We've received word that Iwagakure was attacked by the Akatsuki just days ago. They kidnapped Jikai Hokori, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. He was attacked by a missing-nin from Iwa, and was accompanied by a missing-nin from Suna. The Tsuchikage had reason to believe the Akatsuki was going to target Suna next. Your mission is to go to Suna and give extra protection to their Kazekage." Tsunade said to the four shinobi in front of her. One bounced in excitement. "Who is it, who is it?!" Naruto exclaimed, showing an immature side that he tried to keep locked down.<p>

"Is it somebody I know?!" He was freaking out. "My god, Naruto. Shut up." Sasuke laughed. Kakashi stared exasperatedly at his student, and Sakura tried to resist the urge to drag her blonde friend from the room. All three of the other members of Team Seven were amazed at how stupid their friend could be sometimes. There was only one person in Suna who would be a target of the Akatsuki, but Naruto still hadn't connected the dots.

"Calm down, Naruto. Suna just named him Kazekage. I'm not surprised you don't know about it." "Know about _what_?!" Naruto was about to leap from his seat if he didn't find out soon.

"The new Kazekage of the Sand Village is Gaara of the Sand." Tsunade announced. Naruto's eyes widened before he disappeared from sight. The others turned to the corner where Naruto was sobbing loudly, curled in the fetal position.

"What the hell, Naruto?" Sasuke said. "Pull yourself together." Naruto stood up, exaggerated tears still falling down his face. "If Gaara gets to be Kazekage, why can't I be Hokage?"

* * *

><p><strong>In Iwa<strong>

* * *

><p>"Come on, little brother." A smug voice called out. Yuzaga walked out of the Tsuchikage's building with a sour look on his face. He walked with his hands in his pockets, kicking the rocks out of his way. There were plenty of rocks. The voice that called out belonged to Yuzaga's older sister, Kurotsuchi. She was a pretty eighteen year old kunoichi with black hair and pale pink eyes. She wore the clothes shared by most Iwa-nin: a red uniform that was missing the right sleeve. She wore fishnet tights with a skirt over them, along with the standard brown flak jacket the Iwa-nin wore. She wore regular shinobi sandals along with gloves.<p>

"C'mon, Yuzaga. We've gotta rendezvous with the Konoha shinobi in two days. Then we head to Suna." This second voice belonged to Akatsuchi, Yuzaga's brother. Akatsuchi was the Tsuchikage's main bodyguard, along with Kurotsuchi. That meant both would be passed on to Yuzaga once he took over. Akatsuchi was cool, and the younger boy looked up to him, (Figuratively AND literally) but Yuzaga couldn't wait to be able to order his older sister around.

Akatsuchi was a massive man, two feet taller than Yuzaga. He had dark eyes and black hair that spiked out the back of his bandanna-like forehead protector. He had big cheeks and a large nose. He wore the regular Iwa-nin uniform as well, with both sleeves intact under his flak jacket. He also wore a yellow scarf around his neck.

Yuzaga met them at the gate before tugging his backpack straps higher up on his shoulders. They took up positions beside their future leader and the three of them walked out of the village. Maybe for the last time.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope no one hates me for killing off another Stone-nin. Now, the only original Stone shinobi left is Yuzaga. I didn't originally plan on killing Jikai, but that was where the story led. So, after becoming friends and partners with his tailed-beast, Son Goku, Jikai entered and exited his final battle. Yuzaga survived a fight with Sasori, something impressive and that will follow his name throughout history, like all are named for their great deeds. Yuzaga the Survivor. He seems to be a crazed mourner, doesn't he? Filled with anger and hate at Deidara, his one-time friend, for killing his cousin, Yuzaga demands retribution. He will join Team Seven: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, in the battle to protectretrieve Gaara from the Akatsuki. Yuzaga is joined by two more major players from Iwa-his older sister: Kurotsuchi, and his brother, Akatsuchi. Also, I hope this chapter made sense all the way through. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to do it, but I'm not sure if everything came out clearly. Tell me what you thought. Ja Nae.**


	9. A New Bond is Formed!

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**Had to make a change to the last chapter, which has already been done. Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi are Yuzaga's brother and sister. Kitsuchi is their father. In the anime, Kitsuchi is only Kurotsuchi's father, but his Narutopedia entry says he and Akatsuchi look a lot alike, so I went ahead and made them father and son. Also, in the anime Kitsuchi is still alive, but he died before the storyline of this fic. Last time we met we saw Yuzaga in a stress-induced coma. Later we see the rebuilding of the Stone Village, and the attack of Deidara and Sasori. Jikai, the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails, known as Son Goku, is captured and presumably killed in the Akatsuki's Sealing Ritual. Yuzaga, wanting revenge, is sent to join Team Seven on a trip to Sunagakure to help protect the new Kazekage, Gaara. He is joined by his brother and sister, who will be his bodyguards when he becomes Tsuchikage. Some of you may wonder why Yuzaga is to be the next Kage, when both Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi are older than him. The answer is that Yuzaga was the only one of the three to be able to learn the Dust Style, which technically makes him stronger.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Stone, Sand, and Leaves! A New Bond is Formed!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Two Days Later<strong>

* * *

><p>"Is that them?" Akatsuchi asked. He had his hand above his eyes, keeping out the setting sun as they leaped from tree-to-tree. They had entered the forest the day before, just before making camp. They came upon Team Seven at the edge of the forest before it became sand. It was getting dark, and they were making camp. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura sat around a campfire, with Kakashi patrolling.<p>

"That's them." Yuzaga said. He sensed the familiar chakra associated with Sasuke Uchiha, having fought the boy in his Exams match. They landed in the clearing, attracting the attention of the four Leaf-nin. Sasuke and Naruto stood quickly, and Kakashi reappeared in the clearing. Sakura was first to notice who had joined them.

"It's the Stone-nin." She said. Naruto cocked his head, looking them over. Yuzaga slapped his forehead. He was further back from his siblings, and was in shadow. He stepped forward and Naruto recognized him.

"Oh!" He exclaimed with a smile. He and Sasuke moved forward to clasp hands with the Dust-user. "We're all sorry to hear about Jikai." Sakura said, joining her teammates. Yuzaga's eyes hardened, and Sakura was taken aback.

Kurotsuchi glared at the Leaf-nin, nearly intolerant of the partnership they were utilizing. Another reason why she would probably never be Tsuchikage. She was too much like her grandfather; untrusting in other Villages and nations. However, in recent years, Onoki had changed his views. Kurotsuchi hadn't. Akatsuchi, on the other hand, smiled jovially at everyone. He was easy to get along with.

"And who are your companions?" Kakashi asked, eye crinkling, showing his smile. "These are my siblings, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi." "I didn't know you had siblings." Naruto said. Akatsuchi smiled again.

"We were guarding grandfather during the Exams. We weren't supposed to be seen. I guess we did a pretty good job!" He laughed. Sakura and Naruto laughed with him, but Sasuke and Kurotsuchi seemed to stare down. Yuzaga and Kakashi watched with trepidation, wondering what would happen.

"So this is the Uchiha." The older girl said. Sasuke's eyes narrowed a little, but his posture stayed the same; coolly aloof. "I am." "I couldn't see you very well from the Kage's box, but you don't look like much. Just another pretty face." Kurotsuchi said with a condescending smirk. "Are you really the one that beat my baby brother?" Sasuke smirked too, eyes switching to the Sharingan.

"Would you like to find out?" Kakashi stepped forward, placing a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. "Now, now. Enough of that. We need to work together here. So…" He turned back to the fire and sat down, motioning for everyone to join him. "Tell us everything you know about the pair you fought."

Yuzaga nodded and the six younger shinobi took places beside the Copy Ninja. Akatsuchi sat on one side of the silver-haired man, still nearly as tall as anyone standing. Sasuke took Kakashi's other side, with Naruto beside him. Yuzaga sat beside the hyperactive shinobi, leaving Sakura a space on the log to sit beside him. She did, feeling slight discomfort at being separated from her team, and being so close to Yuzaga, who she didn't know very well. Kurotsuchi took up a place opposite Kakashi, on the other side of the fire, sitting by no one. The Leaf-nin simultaneously cocked an eyebrow, eyes on the kunoichi.

"Don't worry about her." Yuzaga said seriously. "She's just a little antisocial. Doesn't play nice with others." Akatsuchi stifled a chuckle, and Kurotsuchi glared at her brothers. Kakashi sighed. This wasn't going well. He motioned at Yuzaga to begin.

"Right, well…I don't know much about Jikai's battle, but I know it was fierce enough to change the landscape." The Leaf-nin looked worried. If a battle with the Akatsuki could change the maps, then they were truly powerful opponents. Yuzaga felt the need to reassure them that their task wasn't impossible.

"A lot of that change came from Jikai's opponent: Deidara. He's a Missing-nin from Iwa, and uses explosions as Jutsu. He was a friend of mine and Jikai's before he defected. However," He continued. "Most of the damage came from Jikai. He transformed." Naruto's eyes widened a little, being able to guess the scale of the battle just due to that fact.

"Transformed as in…?" Kakashi prompted. Yuzaga made a noise of assent. "He went full on Biju transformation. All four tails." Kakashi looked troubled. "And he was still defeated?" "I'm not sure what happened." Yuzaga admitted. "I was in the middle of my own battle." He looked to Kurotsuchi, hoping she would help him in explaining. She sighed, before beginning to speak.

"The Four-Tails is called the Yonbi, or the Demon Ape. He uses the Lava Style, like our Uncle, Roshi, and like me. It uses Earth and Fire Style chakra to form intensely burning magma, which is what caused a lot of the damage. When our scouts went out, after we recovered Yuzaga, they reported that the Four-Tails was nowhere in sight, but that there were two figures there. When Akatsuchi and I arrived the scouts were dead, and there was no one around."

"I didn't know it at the time," Yuzaga spoke up again. "but that other figure was Sasori of the Red Sand. He's a powerful puppeteer from the Sand Village, which is why we figured he'd be going to Suna for Gaara. He uses poisons as well, and he's very good at combat. He took control of my Stone Golem without even blinking…" The Dust-user thought for a moment.

"Thinking back on it now, if I was a little faster, I could've fought longer. Things could've been different…" "You would probably be dead." Akatsuchi finished for him, always the practical one. Yuzaga's face fell, and he hung his head. Akatsuchi stood, crossed in front of Kakashi, and placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder.

"That's not to say that I don't believe in you." He said encouragingly. "I believe that it wasn't your battle to win, and I think you had the wrong opponent." Yuzaga looked up, craning his neck all the way back to look into his brother's face. He knew what the mountain of a man was implying. Deidara. Yuzaga nodded, silently thanking Akatsuchi for his words.

After a few more moments catching up and getting everyone up to speed, the shinobi retired to their respective bedrolls for the night. They might well have had a big day when dawn came upon them.

Yuzaga laid awake for at least an hour after retiring with the others. He kept thinking about everything that had been happening in this last eight months. Then, he thought further back. There was something he didn't mention to the Leaf-nin. Kurotsuchi would've killed him for it, so he kept it to himself. He didn't entirely trust his older sister with going after Deidara. It was a long time ago, but she had a really big crush on the explosive-nin when they were little. She was devastated when he left, and wasn't sure whether her attraction to the traitor had faded. Feeling that he'd probably die the next day if he didn't get some sleep, he forced himself to rest. It was filled with the fitful nightmares of someone who knew death was approaching. The only problem was that he didn't know for sure who death was coming for.

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Day<strong>

* * *

><p>"We'll be in Suna in the next hour or so." Kakashi declared, voice carrying back on the wind to the shinobi behind him as they leaped through the trees. They had left just before dawn that morning, and hadn't stopped for hours. It was now an hour before sunset, which was their estimated time of arrival. They each had a ration of food pills that kept them topped off on chakra and energy, and could go for hours more if they had to. Luckily, they didn't.<p>

The shinobi were going in a formation, with Kakashi leading, Naruto and Sasuke right behind, Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi, and Sakura behind them, and Yuzaga at the end. This way, their most powerful fighters were first to get attacked from either in front or behind, with supplementary help coming from right behind/in front of them.

Yuzaga heard Kakashi's proclamation, a grim look coming to his face. _"I'm coming for you, Deidara."_ He vowed silently.

* * *

><p>Outside the Sand Village, Deidara sneezed suddenly, the sound like gunfire in the silence of the pair's surveillance. "Damn it, Deidara." Sasori cursed. He was still in his true form, not having another puppet he could hide in. He had replaced his cloak. The blond scratched the back of his head with a smile.<p>

"Nothing I can do about it, my man. Somebody must be talking about me, hmm?" Sasori said nothing else, instead opting to keep his eyes on the entrance to the village. They'd only been waiting for a short while, but Sasori was already feeling annoyed. First, that brat friend of Deidara's had destroyed Hiruko, and now his mind-slave was keeping him waiting. Both of which entertained Deidara to no end. When he first told the blond what had happened to his puppet armor, the explosive shinobi burst out laughing. Sasori nearly killed him there. But, he wasn't one of the more composed members of Akatsuki for nothing. He stuffed the emotion down, keeping his cool and leading the way back to his former home.

"Hey, my man, isn't that your guy?" Deidara pointed to a lone figure walking from the village. Sasori smiled as the figure drew closer. "Ah, Yura." The black-haired man bowed low to Sasori, remembering who he really was once his master lifted the memory-blocking Jutsu.

"My lord, I know of the perfect way to get the two of you inside the walls." Sasori pondered for a second. "Very well. Lead on." First, Yura made some seals. Deidara made to stop him, but Sasori blocked the way. Yura couldn't do anything that Sasori wouldn't allow, so he knew there was no way the Jutsu he was about to cast was a harmful one.

"Ninja Art: Undetectable Concealment!" He placed a hand on both shinobi's heads and Deidara felt as if something gooey was dripping from his scalp, all over his body. "What the hell…?" He muttered to himself. He looked down and saw his body rapidly disappearing from sight. _"Interesting."_ He thought. _"Sasori really knows how to pick his servants, hmm?"_

"Come. I told the other guards that I would investigate the source of the noise we heard moments ago." Deidara could feel Sasori's eyes boring into him, even though he couldn't see them. Deidara laughed silently, following the Sand-nin between the sheer rock walls that guarded the path into the village.

"Nothing to worry about." Yura said to the other guards. "I'm going to report to the Kazekage." They all nodded, and continued to watch. In Yura's four years as a councilmember, he had been appointed to many positions. This included Captain of the guard. Yura raced through the sandy space between the walls and the village, and at his first opportunity, he jumped onto a building. This was so that Sasori and Deidara wouldn't bump into anyone, or throw up any sand that would be noticed by someone.

In a matter of minutes, the three were standing on the top of the Kazekage's building. Yura was smooth talking the guard when a gust of wind whipped sand up past them. At first, Yura thought nothing of it. However, the guard gasped. As the sand blew past Sasori and Deidara, it caught on their cloaks, making them ruffle, and briefly outlining them. Yura didn't hesitate, lashing out with a kunai and ending the guard's life.

"That was close, hmm?" Deidara said. Sasori was livid. Yura might've just ruined their cover. He could've placed the guard under Genjutsu, and it would've been undetectable. However, Yura was still useful. For now. Yura used some sand from his flak jacket to clean the blood away from him. They stepped over the body, entering the building.

* * *

><p>In the Kazekage's office, Gaara sat at his desk in a high-backed chair. He turned the chair away from his paperwork, staring out the large windows. It was nearing sunset, and the Jinchuriki found that it was his favorite part of the day. He hadn't realized what a tough job being Kazekage would be when he accepted. But, if it was to gain the trust and friendship of his people, he would do anything. It was all thanks to that orange-clad Leaf shinobi. He was roused from his musings by his brother entering the office.<p>

"Gaara." Kankuro bowed. "I've told you before, Kankuro." Gaara said, turning back to the desk. "You're my brother. Don't bow to me." Kankuro straightened. "What news do you have?" "Temari sent a message from the Leaf Village. Her mission as ambassador is going well. She said she has some drafts for treaties that she'll bring when she comes home in the next few weeks." Gaara nodded.

"What of the shinobi coming from Iwa and Konoha?" Kankuro pulled out a scroll. "Kakashi from the Leaf sent this to us this morning. They said they'd be here close to sundown, so they should be here soon." "Very well. Who are the final people they decided to send?" Kankuro consulted the scroll again.

"Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura from the Leaf. Yuzaga and two others from the Stone." Gaara nodded again, somewhat pleased to hear that he would be among friends. He got along well with Naruto, due to their mutual situation. He also felt some kind of kinship with Yuzaga because of Jikai, and he had a feeling he didn't quite understand the feeling he had that the Stone-nin was coming to help prevent something like that from happening to him.

"_Is this gladness?"_ He wondered. Kankuro had been silent for a few moments, but broke his vigil with an unsettling question. "Gaara…is that…blood?" At the word, Gaara could feel the Shukaku within him stir. He forced the tanuki to sleep once more, turning the chair back to the window. He immediately saw what his brother noticed. A dark red tract of blood went down the length of the window from the roof above.

"The guard!" Kankuro exclaimed, rushing to the door. He threw it open, running headlong into Yura. "Lord Kankuro! What troubles you?" The puppeteer pushed him out of the way, charging out of the room.

"You look deeply perturbed, Lord Kazekage." Yura bowed. Gaara's nose twitched, foreign scents triggering one of the abilities bestowed upon him by carrying Shukaku. Not many people knew that his sense of smell was as powerful as it was. He knew right off that there was something wrong. His gourd was in the corner, at the rack that held his Kage hat and robe. He exerted his will, and it transformed back to sand, mixing with what was inside. At a thought, it shot forward and enveloped Yura, along with the area around him.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Yura exclaimed. "What are you doing, my lord?!" Gaara stood, forming a seal with his left hand, and extending his right. "Sand Burial." He rasped, rotating his right hand, and making a fist. The sand compacted, killing Yura, and hopefully the ones with him. However, in the instant before compaction, thousands of lines, that Gaara recognized as chakra threads, slashed a large portion of the sand away. However, the threads didn't save Yura, reinforcing the idea that the advisor wasn't alone.

As Yura died, a redheaded man came into being, seemingly from midair. The threads were sticking out through a black cloak with red clouds, and as Gaara watched, the threads wound back into the cloak. "I'm very impressed with your skill, Gaara of the Sand." "You are very familiar." Gaara noted. The man laughed softly.

"So I should be." He said. "This _was_ my home at one point, and I don't doubt that my story is told even today. I was called Sasori…of the Red Sand." Gaara's eyes widened by a fraction of an inch, but other than that he showed no response.

"I see. My brother, the one who left the room before, speaks of you all the time. He's a puppeteer who uses puppets that belonged to you." Sasori smiled. "So, my work was preserved." He seemed perversely happy with this information.

"Regardless, I think it's time for you to come with me." "I won't be a part of the Akatsuki's plots." Gaara warned. "Oh, you were part of the plan the moment you were born with the Shukaku inside you." Sasori stated. "My partner, Deidara, is set to begin bombing this city from above. If he doesn't see the two of us leave this building in the next five minutes, he'll commence the attack."

"I could just kill you here, and then attack your partner." Gaara pointed out. "That's where you're wrong, actually. I'm more resilient than you think. I escaped your earlier Jutsu just by using my chakra. You're really not as dangerous as everyone thinks. And, I have more tricks up my sleeve." Gaara thought quickly, knowing he didn't have much time.

"Very well. We shall leave the city, and then we will fight." Sasori enjoyed the fact that Gaara thought he wouldn't attack him as soon as they were outside, but decided to agree. "Yes. We will fight." _"It's just as well. We can't seal him unless he's weakened."_

* * *

><p>"There they are." Deidara said to himself. Gaara was walking through the village, gourd on his back and body covered by a cloak. Sasori was leaping from building to building, repeating the path that Yura had led them on. They had separated on the roof. Sasori went inside with Yura, and the blond had flown into the sky to ready his bombs. He slipped them all inside another pouch on his belt, saving them for if Sasori needed help subduing the Shukaku. He took off in flight, following the two to the far side of the city. Away from the entrance.<p>

Gaara used sand to propel himself over the cliffs to the other side. Sasori smirked as the Jinchuriki prepared himself for the coming fight. He leapt from the building he was on to follow the other redhead over, just as Deidara flew and alighted on the sandy ground.

Gaara immediately tried to ensnare the explosive shinobi, but Sasori held up his hand. "Your fight isn't with him. It's with me. He'll make no move to attack, unless I perish." He smiled grimly. "But don't think for an instant that it'll happen." Gaara grinned as well, letting his face slip into the familiar insanity smirk. It wasn't real anymore, but it _did_ usually have an effect on his opponents. Sasori was an exception.

"Please. _You think you can intimidate me_?!" His eyes widened, pupils and irises shrinking as his face took on a more shadowed appearance. He made one hand seal and something on his back glowed for a second. Then, he displayed his palms to Gaara just in time for two pipes to extend. "I am not afraid of your toys." Gaara rasped. He formed a ball of sand in front of him that steadily began to shrink until it was the size of a marble. It dropped softly into his hand, and he flicked it at the puppeteer.

"Sand Bullet!" Nearly faster than the eye could follow, the bullet shot through the air at Sasori. It easily bypassed his outstretched arms, striking him in the chest and throwing him back. Gaara kept manipulating the bullet, causing it to strike him multiple times before he hit the ground. Sasori stood, still smiling. His cloak had several holes in it, but his skin was unmarred.

"Not a bad technique. But not nearly good enough. Try again." He offered. Gaara's eyes narrowed. His sand flowed above them, forming a cloud. Particles floated a few inches down from the cloud before clumping together into small spheres. Sasori looked up. The sand at the puppeteer's feet rose, clutching him and throwing him into the air.

"Sand Shower!" The spheres rained down at high-speed, blasting Sasori as he flew up to meet them. "Sand Coffin!" He formed a seal with one hand, holding the other out. His sand squeezed Sasori, containing him. "Sand Burial!" Gaara closed his hand, making a fist as the sand seemed to crush his opponent. He opened his hand and the sand fell away, dropping Sasori to the ground. He landed in an awkward position, arms and legs twisted around and pointing in all different directions. His cloak was shredded, leaving him wearing only a mesh shirt with a black sleeveless shirt over it.

"That was better." He said. His arms and legs started to move, righting themselves as he pushed himself back to his feet. "It's hopeless." Sasori said. "You have no chance of defeating me." Without his cloak, Gaara could see that Sasori's body was that of a puppet, and that all his sand was doing was polishing it. A thought suddenly struck him that made him smile. _"Sandblaster."_ He thought morbidly.

"This has gone on long enough, don't you think, my man?" Deidara asked. Sasori nodded. "I think you're right, Deidara. I can't stand keeping people waiting." He pointed the pipes that poked from his hands at the Jinchuriki. "These are my Water Stream Shooters." If Gaara had eyebrows, they'd have furrowed.

"I can shoot high pressure water from them, making your sand useless!" Sasori declared. To prove his point, he let a stream shoot across the distance between them. Gaara's Sand Shield automatically came up to protect him, but the blast punched a hole through it and soaked the Kazekage. Gaara dropped to one knee as the Sand Armor that coated his body grew heavy with moisture, turning grey.

"You can't defend yourself against my Water Stream Shooters." Sasori taunted. "Your sand is useless here." Gaara struggled to stand, making Sasori softly laugh. His laughter cut off as Gaara took to his feet again. "I'm stronger than I look." He said. His sand began to wrap around him, struggling to stay together. This sand shone brighter than originally, because it used the hardest minerals from the earth. The sand focused around his hand, forming the shaft of a spear. A larger amount of sand appeared at the end of the shaft, forming into a spearhead in the shape of a large clawed hand. Red markings, that looked suspiciously like blood, spread out over the blade.

"Extreme Tempered Ultimate Attack!" Gaara called. Sasori's eyes widened even more. "_Shukaku's Pike_!" He reared back, flinging the pike with all his strength. It moved fast, but Sasori was pretty quick himself. He pointed his Shooters at the ground, utilizing a blast of water to lift him high over the attack. He flipped, planning on a safe landing. However, Gaara was in the air too, and was blocking Sasori's route. Sand wound itself around Gaara's hands, forming large gauntlets that the Jinchuriki used to pound the puppeteer to the ground.

"_His hits are harder since I made the sand wet…"_ Sasori mused. _"I'll just have to make it wetter."_ Gaara had used the time between Sasori's impact and the 'man' getting up to put space between them. Sasori pointed his Shooters at the Kage again, firing another blast.

"Ultimate Defense: Shukaku's Shield!" Gaara screamed. More of the mineral enriched sand from the ground around them rose up in the form of a miniature Shukaku that stood three times as tall as the Jinchuriki. It wore a round hat, much like the hats the Akatsuki wore. Blood-red markings, like the ones from the spear, spread around the Shukaku's arms and swollen belly. The water hit the shield and pounded two dents in the sand. However, both the water and the shield kept up. The sand slowly turned grey, like Gaara's but it held.

"I said 'Ultimate Defense.'" Gaara said dryly. "You won't be able to break through this shield with those weak jets of water." Sasori's smile grew. He looked down at his arms, and Gaara's gaze followed. For the first time, Gaara noticed the lines that went around Sasori's forearm. Like it wasn't fully attached. Sasori's arms rotated, and the streams condensed. They drilled further into the sand, but it was still holding, for the moment. Sasori rotated his arms again, and the streams were now as thin as a regular pen. They burst out the back of the shield, grazing Gaara's shoulders and blasting through the Sand Armor. Gaara's blood splattered the ground behind him, and Sasori became the third shinobi to make the Jinchuriki bleed.

* * *

><p>"Gaara!" Kankuro rushed back into the Kazekage's office, only seeing Yura's crushed body. "Damn it! Where is he?!" Kankuro had only gone to check the situation above, and didn't know anything that had happened in the room. He should never have left. He knew that Gaara had been to kill Yura, due to the unique way the body was mangled. He just didn't know why. He had to find his little brother. He turned to run out of the room again, but bumped into another group of people as he rounded a corner.<p>

"Whoa, Kankuro! What's the rush?!" Naruto said as he got back up. He held out a hand to the puppeteer, bringing him back to his feet. "I can't find Gaara!" He exclaimed. The assembled shinobi gasped, even just as a messenger ran from the other direction.

"Lord Kankuro!" He bowed. "What is it?!" Kankuro yelled, not having time. "There have been reports of battle on the outside of the far wall of the village." The messenger gasped. "Behind the village?!" Kankuro inquired, already moving. The messenger confirmed, and the puppeteer raced off, being followed by the shinobi from Leaf and Stone.

* * *

><p>Gaara looked down, seeing his blood on the sand, even as more dripped. Chunks of his Sand Armor were falling off as well, and his 'Ultimate Defense' was dissolving back into formless sand. Anger filled the redhead as he thought about this traitor of the village he commanded, and at the fact that he was trying to kill him. Gaara clapped his hands together, leading his hands into a series of seals strung together with a final clap.<p>

"Sand Tsunami!" The sand underneath him started to undulate, and he used that power to leap backward, distancing himself from the other Sand-nin. From the point the originally stood, the sand rose and began rushing toward Sasori in the form of a giant wave. Deidara leapt back onto his bird, flapping into the air high enough to not be stuck, but not so high as to be seen by the villagers. Sasori started jumping back, but the waves were too fast, and he was buffeted by the sand.

"_This Jinchuriki is more powerful than we'd anticipated."_ The puppeteer thought as he went under for a second. The waves stopped, and the landscape had changed. The ground was normal from the point where Gaara had originally stood, back. However, from the point he'd stood, forward, the sand was very low, leading up as a hill until the wall. The sand was only inches from the top. Sasori climbed from the sand, feeling it irritating his inner mechanisms.

"Damn it." He muttered. However, Gaara wasn't done with his assault. He made the Ram seal. "Sand Burial Prison." The sands began shifting again under Sasori's feet. The puppeteer was unable to move because of a quicksand-like effect that began sucking him under. He tried to struggle, but the sand in his joints made it difficult to move. Soon, he was entirely submerged, and was plunging further underground than any shinobi was meant to be.

"Wow." Deidara said. "He's more impressive than we thought, hmm? Wonder how you'll get out of this, Sasori, my man." He watched as Gaara walked over the sand to the place where the wave had rose up. He jumped down into the hollow that he'd made, standing before the hill. He clapped his hands once more, and slammed his palms against the ground in front of him.

"Giant Sand Burial!" A shockwave spread out across the hill, sand dropping as it compressed. Three shockwaves followed the first, further compressing the sand, until all was quiet. Then, a deep whirring noise began, coming from deep, deep underground. Suddenly, the sand under Deidara's bird erupted with thousands of chakra threads that attached themselves to the unarmed bomb. The whirring grew louder as Sasori made his way to the surface. The sand burst as it released Sasori, and Gaara finally saw how he could escape.

Sasori's two shirts had been torn away by the sand, and Gaara could see that he was a puppet. The strands from earlier, and the ones that Sasori was using to reel himself up, were coming from a compartment on the right side of his chest. The whirring came from two spinning claws that were attached to his lower back. There was an open cavity, where his stomach would be, that housed some kind of black cord. In the left side of his chest, where the heart should be, was a cylinder with the kanji _Scorpion_ painted on it. The claws had helped him cut through the sand, and the threads had helped pull him along. However, the three-pronged attack _did_ give Sasori some damage. His right arm was gone, broken off at the shoulder, and he had dents in his body in several places. In a few spots the sand had wore holes in his body.

"That was a very nice attempt!" Sasori complimented with an off-putting laugh. His blades gleamed in the last rays of sunlight as they stopped rotating. He raised his arms again, launching another high-powered blast of water. Gaara's sand rose, blocking the flow from its master. However, the water was a distraction. While the sand stayed up, ready to ward off any more attacks, Sasori fired the poison-coated cable wrapped up inside his stomach. He pointed his remaining Shooter at the stinger on the end, firing them. They coated the stinger in water, along with the cable that trailed behind it. The sharp spike punched through the sand, wrapping around Gaara's neck.

Gaara began to sputter, hands around the thick cable, trying to pull it off. However, all he got for his efforts were hands that tore on the rough cord, and poison flowing into his bloodstream. The water on the cable diluted the poison enough to where it wouldn't be fatal, and had the added effect of weakening the Sand Armor around Gaara's neck. Between the poison and the cable, Gaara soon passed out of consciousness.

"Take care of him." Sasori said, calming down. He flung the cable, unwinding it from around the Jinchuriki's neck. Gaara's body arced through the air, being caught by Deidara's bird. The bird swallowed the Kage, keeping him safe inside its stomach.

"Now, let's get the hell out of here." Sasori commanded. He began spinning his claws again, using them to boost his speed and race away. Deidara sweat dropped. "Now he knows how _I_ felt back in Iwa." His bird began flapping its wings and the blond followed his partner around the perimeter of the wall to leave the way they came. It was time to get to their closest hideout and seal their fourth Biju.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, Kankuro and the others leaped over the wall, hoping to find Gaara still in battle. However, all they could see was sand. "Where are they?!" Kankuro yelled. "Calm down." Kakashi advised. "Don't worry. We'll find them." He and Sasuke walked down the sandy hill Gaara had left behind, heading to the dark red of Gaara's blood. They made a few seals.<p>

"Summoning Jutsu!" They called together. When the smoke cleared, Biscuit and Pakkun stood, pawing at the sand. "Whaddaya need?" Pakkun asked, saggy skin around his eyes making him look tired. "Yeah, Sasuke." Biscuit began. "What's up?" "We need you two to use your noses and see if you can track Gaara from his blood." Kakashi explained.

"You mean the kid from the Chunin Exams two years ago?" Pakkun asked. Kakashi nodded. "I can still remember the smell of that kid." The small dog's fur ruffled as he shivered. Biscuit obediently lowered his nose to the blood that stained the sand, taking in the scent. Both dogs turned and took off at a run, following the wall around.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled, and the group ran after the nin-dogs. Sasuke flared his Sharingan, keeping an eye out, when he saw something glowing under the sand. "Stop!" He screamed. The dogs skidded to a halt, but Naruto tripped in his haste, flying over the dogs.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cried. He slid up a sleeve, drawing a shuriken from his sealing tattoo. He threw it, a shimmering line of ninja wire trailing behind it. The throwing star wrapped the wire around Naruto, and Sasuke gave a mighty heave that brought Naruto back to the safe side of the sands.

"What the hell, Sasuke?!" Naruto cried, picking himself up from the sand. Sasuke didn't speak, but walked forward. He passed the dogs, and sparks faintly flickered around him. "There are landmines buried underneath us." He said calmly, sparks keeping them from detonating. Yuzaga glared. "Deidara."

"Well…how do we get past?" Sakura asked. "It's not a problem." Sasuke said. "For an Uchiha." Kurotsuchi scoffed. "Fine, go ahead and show off, Uchiha. We'll be ready to clean the sand when you blow yourself up." Sasuke smirked, eyes spinning.

"See, Earth Style Ninjutsu is weak against the Lightning Style." Kurotsuchi pouted. "Earth isn't weak." She muttered to herself. "Chidori Current!" The occasional spark that flitted across his body crackled, becoming a blast of pure lightning that was bigger than any the Uchiha had created before, enveloping the Sharingan-user. There were muffled pops underground, and smoke began to waft through the grains.

"Good job, Sasuke." Kakashi praised. "Let's keep moving. We're wasting time." The assembled shinobi set off again, trying to move as fast as possible. However, before long, Sasuke was beginning to fall back. He traveled a few more meters and toppled over. "Uh-oh." Biscuit said before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Sasuke!" Sakura broke away from the group, going back to her fallen teammate. Kakashi followed, raising his headband to reveal his own Sharingan. "He used up too much chakra defusing those landmines." The sensei revealed. "He put too much power into it, trying to get all of them." Sasuke tried to climb back to his feet, but they slid out from under him.

"Here, take some food pills." Sakura offered. Kakashi stopped her. "I'm afraid that food pills won't help in this situation. In fact, they might hurt him more." Sakura looked puzzled, so Kakashi continued.

"You know that the pills give a burst of chakra to help replenish some of your reserves, but any seasoned shinobi will tell you to never take them when you've used too much chakra. What you have to keep in mind is that these pills are like a steroid boost to keep you going. When you're low on chakra, one pill will only give you enough chakra to keep moving for awhile. You can't fight, or you'll die, and you can't take more pills, or you'll die." Sakura frowned, worrying over the Uchiha like he was a child.

"I'll be fine." Sasuke said, successfully making to his feet. "We need to keep going." Yuzaga walked up. "Sasuke, you said to me during our battle that your eyes could see when I was out of chakra. You told me, 'This fight is over. You're out of chakra, and you can't break free.' Why aren't your eyes so sharp now? Is it because you don't have enough chakra to use them?" Sasuke looked to the ground.

Kakashi clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok, Sasuke." He looked up and saw his sensei's eye crinkle in a smile. "Kankuro, you take Sasuke back to the village." Kankuro was indignant. "I can't go back to the village! I have to save Gaara!" "I understand that." Kakashi began. "However, I also understand that you won't be much help to us, due to being a long-range fighter, and Sasuke will only get in the way. It's for your brother's own good that you go back."

Kankuro stared hard at the sand under his feet. "Ok." He went to Sasuke, helping him up and putting the Uchiha's arm around his neck. Sakura took up his other side, and the two carried him back toward the village.

"Was it wise to let Sakura go too? We've lost three fighters." Yuzaga pointed out. "There's still five of us." Kakashi said optimistically, pulling his headband back down. "But will that be enough?" Akatsuchi asked. "Pfft." Kurotsuchi scoffed. "Five is two too many." Kakashi ignored the kunoichi's comment, instead opting to answer Akatsuchi. "It'll have to be."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sasori, my man!" Deidara called to the puppeteer. Sasori looked over his shoulder as he ran, keeping watch of his surroundings with the corner of his eye. "What, Deidara?" The blonde's expression was a mixture of excitement, and possibly worry. "My landmines detonated! That means that somebody knows we got the Kazekage, and tried to chase us down!" Sasori smiled wildly. "That suits me just fine." He skidded to a stop in the sand.<p>

"Keep going, Deidara. I'm going to watch for anyone else, and 'clean up.'" Deidara stared at the redhead. "Wouldn't it be easier to just go?!" He called down. "This way, we get rid of the rats quicker. And there's no chance of losing the Jinchuriki." Deidara didn't like the idea much, but knew his partner was right…and smarter than him.

"Fine." He relented. "Don't leave yet though. I have to make some preparations." Sasori said, pulling a scroll from his back. He made a seal, releasing a puppet that looked exactly like the one he inhabited at that moment, except that it had no eyes, and there was no 'Scorpion' cylinder in its chest.

* * *

><p>When Kakashi and the others happened upon Sasori, his old puppet body was replaced with the new body, wearing a new cloak. This meant that none of the assembled knew what Sasori could do, not even Yuzaga, who had been an opponent.<p>

"Well, well, well. The Stone-nin; friend of Deidara." "Former." Yuzaga said shortly. "That's neither here nor there. I'm glad you lived through our battle, but I believe I told you not to make me regret saving you. I'm not going to regret it, am I?" "You'd better fuckin' believe you're gonna regret it!" Yuzaga exclaimed. Then he stopped, turning his head away from Sasori, in thought.

"Damn it." He muttered. "I'm not here for you!" He said aloud. "I'm here for retribution against Deidara for the death of my cousin!" Sasori laughed. "I'm just as much at fault for his death as Deidara." He said, condescendingly. "Doesn't matter." Yuzaga replied. "I'm still gonna kick his ass. But if you get out of the way, I promise, you can die next time."

"I'm afraid none of you are going to get past me." Yuzaga glared at the puppeteer, who returned the gaze coolly. "I'm going ahead." The Stone-nin said to his companions without turning. "I'm not sure if that's wise, little brother." Akatsuchi said gently.

"Yeah!" Kurotsuchi said. "I want to go find Deidara!" Yuzaga looked at the blush on his sister's cheeks as she said the Missing-nin's name. "Are you serious? After everything that happened, him leaving, coming back, blowing up the village, taking Jikai, and _killing him_, you still love that guy?!" Kurotsuchi sniffed, trying to remain dignified.

"You wouldn't understand." Yuzaga cocked an eyebrow at her. "_I _wouldn't understand? That's rich. I think after the last six months, I understand better than _you_ do." Kurotsuchi's eyes flicked to the ground, the girl taken aback.

"Not that this isn't fascinating," Sasori interrupted. "But wouldn't you rather your last words be something meaningful?" Kurotsuchi's eyes went back to the redheaded puppeteer. "You're right, Yuzaga. I shouldn't be the one to fight Deidara. I'd be in your way. I'll make you an opening." Yuzaga shook his head.

"Remember, I fought him. It's gonna take more than just you, sister." He turned to his brother. "Akatsuchi, would you mind helping her out?" Akatsuchi shook his head slowly. "I'm supposed to protect you. I can't let you go off on your own." Yuzaga cursed. "How about this?" Naruto proposed. "Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Kakashi-Sensei fight this guy, and I give Yuzaga some backup. We'll even take Pakkun with us, so we know where we're going." Akatsuchi thought about it.

"I remember seeing your ability during the Exams." He pondered. "Ok. That sounds good to me." His smile dropped from his face, leaving it battle ready as he faced Sasori. "Get ready to go." Yuzaga nodded, clapping Naruto on the back. "Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi." The siblings flicked their eyes to their younger brother.

"Be careful." The two nodded, preparing to fight. Yuzaga and Naruto began to run across the sand. "Not so fast!" Sasori cried. He opened his cloak a little, at stomach level, and unleashed the poisoned cable he used to fight Gaara. It flew at an incredible speed at the two, intent on spearing the both of them. Akatsuchi, showing amazing agility, leapt in front of the cable.

"Earth Style!" He cried, slamming his hands in a seal. "Earth Golem Jutsu!" He opened his mouth and spewed a mouthful of liquid rock. The rock broke away from Akatsuchi's mouth, taking the shape of a warrior that took the hit from the cable.

"That's a pretty sturdy attack." Kakashi noted. Akatsuchi smiled. "That's my Earth Golem. It's different from the Golem brother summons, but it can take a lot of damage. Good for defending." Sasori smirked, watching the retreating backs of Naruto and Yuzaga.

"I guess you're my opponents. I'll kill the three of you, and then kill the other two." The cable ripped backward, out of the Golem, and retracted back into his stomach cavity. Akatsuchi let his Earth Golem break apart and drop to the sand.

"Here's the plan." Kakashi said quietly, never taking his visible eye off of the puppeteer. "I'll attack him directly, and you two will back me up. Sound good?" Kurotsuchi started to object, but Akatsuchi cut her off. "Of course, Master Kakashi." Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Master?"

* * *

><p>"I don't think Deidara had too much time to take off before we found him." Yuzaga panted. The two were racing across the desert, following the pug nin-dog, but didn't quite know where their prey had gone. The desert continued for miles in front of them, but the Land of Fire's forests were far off to the sides of them, marking the border with the Land of Wind. Deidara could've gone anywhere. Pakkun's nose twitched, and he ran off to the left, in a north-eastern direction. He was heading for the forest.<p>

"He went this way!" The dog yelled back. "This isn't working!" Yuzaga declared. "We're not fast enough to cover the distance! We'll lose him, or worse, be too wiped out to fight him!" He did some quick thinking on his feet.

"Do you have any kind of Jutsu that could get us moving a little faster? I've got my Wind Style: Updraft, but I don't want to leave you behind." Naruto thought for a few seconds. "Well, I could always modify the technique Pervy Sage taught me to fight Lee…" He mumbled to himself. He snapped his fingers.

"Got it!" He narrowed his eyes in concentration, and Yuzaga saw his chakra flare around his legs. Sand began to swirl around his feet as he stepped, the chakra turning into small, green whirlwinds around his legs. He quickly passed Yuzaga, speed increased by at least three times.

"Fantastic!" Yuzaga hollered, making the Monkey Seal. "Get on my back, Pakkun!" He called. The pug leaped at the same time he did. "Wind Style: Updraft!" emerald streams of wind burst from his hands, propelling him to catch up with the blond Jinchuriki.

"We'll catch him in no time!"

* * *

><p>"Lava Style: Quicklime Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi cried, firing a blob of some white substance from her mouth at the puppeteer. She then followed up with another technique. "Water Style: Water Trumpet!" She held her hand up in front of her mouth, blasting water from it. Sasori let the Quicklime Jutsu hit, and the Water Trumpet followed, turning the Lava Style Jutsu into a goop that restricted the movement of the redhead. Usually, such a move in the desert would be useless due to the overbearing heat, however, the sun had set, and a chill moved across the dunes.<p>

"Now, Kakashi!" The kunoichi cried. The Copy Ninja put his hands in the cross seal that his student was famous for. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" An identical copy appeared, and both channeled even more chakra. They stretched a hand out to one another, lightning crackling between them. The two charged forward, lightning forming a chain.

"Lightning Blade: Raiden's Chain!" They ran past the puppeteer, lightning cutting through his body at the waist, with no resistance. Kurotsuchi pumped the air with her fist, thinking the fight over.

"How cute." Sasori said from the ground. He was still very much alive, and no blood came from the severe wound he'd taken. The girl could see that his body was hollow. Chakra glowed around the edges of his body, and the legs stood back up. The torso floated up before fusing seamlessly with the other half. The bottom of the Akatsuki robe lay at his feet, with him only wearing the top. His claw-like blades extended out, poking from under the frayed edge.

"The girl actually thought it would be that easy." Sasori laughed to himself. Kakashi's clone dispersed, leaving him holding a regular Lightning Blade. Sasori turned to him. "That was a very nice try." He complimented. "But I can put this body back together as many times as I need to." _"He's a puppet!"_ Kakashi realized. _"But then…there _has_ to be a weak spot."_ The Copy Ninja knew he just had to find it, and exploit it.

"I know what you're thinking." Sasori said. "You think I'll let you use that Sharingan of yours to find a weakness? Do I seem that foolish to you?" Kakashi's eyes widened. _"He figured it out!"_ Sasori reached under what was left of his robe, pulling out a scroll. The scroll was, in theory, the third from a series on his back, due to the number three being written on it in kanji. Kakashi focused the Sharingan.

"_That doesn't look good."_ There was a mass of chakra inside the puppet, and Sasori was getting ready to release it. The puppeteer crouched, unrolling the scroll across the sand in front of him. He smiled, sending a chill up the spines of the three opposing shinobi, and placed his hands on a seal in the center. A massive puff of smoke obscured him for a moment.

A clacking sound rose up. The sound of wood against wood. The smoke cleared, and Sasori remained crouched, arms stretched out to his left. Rising up behind him, attached with chakra threads, was an incredibly detailed, human-like puppet. The puppet's hair was dark blue, or black, and spiked like Jiraiya's. Not much else could be seen, as the puppet wore a dark cloak with a fringe of light brown fur as the collar.

"_Why does that puppet look so familiar?"_ Kakashi thought back through all his past battles, trying to think of where he'd seen the puppet. However, it was his Chunin Exams that jogged his memory. It was a long time ago, when he was only six years old. Suna was hosting in the Exams that year, and Kakashi remembered the face of the man who led the Village. Kakashi remembered the Third Kazekage so vividly because it was only three years later that the man vanished.

But surely that puppet was just a puppet, right? Just a likeness? Or was it? Kakashi could very clearly see the chakra that emanated from the puppet. Sasori's smile grew.

"I see you figured it out." He said, startling Kakashi with his admission. "This is the body of the Third Kazekage, transformed into a puppet for my use, and my use alone." He flicked a finger, and the puppet's mouth opened. Streams of what looked to be sand spilled from the puppet's mouth, floating around the wooden weapon. However, the 'sand' was a dark grey color.

"What's that?" Kurotsuchi asked. Sasori was glad to answer. "This is the Kazekage's special 'Iron Sand.' The Third Kazekage used his magnetic chakra to control iron powder, in the same way the Shukaku controlled sand."

"But…if that's a puppet, how can he use the magnetic chakra?!" Akatsuchi asked the Copy Ninja. Kakashi had no answer, but the puppeteer was ecstatic to reveal the secret. "I have a…special method for retaining the abilities of the shinobi I model my puppets off of…" He paused.

"And what would that method be?" Kakashi said, having his suspicions. Sasori's smile grew so large that Kakashi thought his wooden face would crack. "I use their bodies." Kurotsuchi made a disgusted noise. "Their _bodies_?!" The redhead nodded slowly.

"Their bodies. They're called 'Human Puppets.' When I defeat a particularly powerful shinobi, I transform his still-living body into my next puppet." He trained his gaze on the Copy Ninja. "I'm particularly eager to make _you_ into a puppet, Kakashi Hatake." Kakashi was confused.

"Why me?" "It's quite simple, actually. Your father killed my parents. So, I think it's only fair that I get to kill you, and take your body." He manipulated the puppet's arms, making seals.

"Iron Sand Shower!" The Iron Sand began to form together in small clumps, becoming a smaller-scaled version of Gaara's Sand Shower. Kakashi watched the puppet's chakra flicker in a wave. As soon as the wave touched the Iron Sand, the bullets fired, repelled by the magnetism.

"Good bye, Kakashi Hatake." Sasori said as the bullets closed in on the Copy Ninja and his companions.

* * *

><p>Deidara had picked a spot right outside the Akatsuki hideout, waiting for his partner to arrive. The boulder still blocked the entrance to the cave, and his bird hovered just above the water. Soon, he felt that familiar chakra approaching. Instead of relief, he felt annoyed. It wasn't Sasori coming for him, but Yuzaga, along with another shinobi with immense power.<p>

"_Damn it. It's time to end this pitiful revenge plot, hmm? Time to die, little Yuzaga."_ His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of whistling wind. The trees on the cliffs above him burst apart, revealing the two shinobi in pursuit. There was Yuzaga, propelled along by winds from his palms, along with a blond he'd never seen before, whose lower body was hidden by his own personal tempest.

"Give Gaara back!" The blond exclaimed, headed on a collision course for the Akatsuki bomber. Deidara's visible eye widened in recognition as he maneuvered away from the whirling winds.

"You've gotta be the Kyuubi brat!" He exclaimed. Naruto's forehead furrowed. "You're wondering how I know, right? There's two reasons. One: No one but a Jinchuriki would _really _want to rescue a Jinchuriki. Two: I've been talking to Itachi about you." He grinned at the anger that raged on Naruto's face.

"He said the Kyuubi Jinchuriki would have whiskers on his face, and would be the first one to jump in and start barking." Naruto started forward, but Yuzaga stepped in the way.

"Calm down, Naruto." He commanded. "He's just trying to piss you off." He stared coldly at the missing-nin. Deidara's smile grew. "By the way Yuzaga, I hope your screams aren't as girly as Jikai's. I always thought you'd take death like a man, instead of a little bitch." Yuzaga's eyes narrowed, and a roar began ripping at his vocal cords.

"_Today's the day you die, you bastard traitor_!"

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><p><strong>So, there's your chapter. I've been writing this one on and off for about a month now, but I've kept getting distracted. Next chapter, we'll see the epic fight between the Akatsuki and the Gaara Rescue Team.<strong>

**IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ**

**I'm in the process of writing two new Naruto fics. First, a Shikamaru fic for his birthday, September 22 (Which also happens to be MY birthday). Second is a fic about a new generation of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. The two main characters will be Suigetsu Hozuki and Chojiro. I already have two OCs for the other Swordsmen, but I need three more. The swords that are open for use by an OC are Samehada, the Sewing Needle, and the sword with the exploding tag-scroll on the back. So, if you want your OC to take part in the fic, there are a few things I need. My e-mail isn't working, you you'll have to Private Message me, here on . I need:**

**An appearance**

**A personality**

**Chakra natures (This also counts for Kekkei Genkai)**

**What sword you want the character to use**

**A name**

**A title (Like how Zabuza is the Demon of the Hidden Mist, or Kisame is the Monster of the Hidden Mist)**

**A list of Jutsu that they know (If you make them up, I need a description)**

**Also, keep in mind that it's the Seven Swordsmen of the MIST, so they have to be Mist shinobi. They can't transfer from another Village, or anything like that, because they're the guardians of the Mizukage, the Village, and basically the first line of defense. Also take that into account for when you give a discription of their clothes, because the Mist shinobi wear different clothes than other Villages.**

**And then, any special abilities they have**

**Ja Nae everybody!**


	10. Retribution

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**Welcome to the eagerly awaited tenth chapter of What If! It's been a long time since my last update, but that's because my computer's been messed up. Again. I think I fixed it myself this time though. Anyway, last time, Gaara was captured and the party from the Leaf and Stone encounters Sasori, staying behind to hold them up. Yuzaga and Naruto manage to get past him, with a little help from Akatsuchi, and rush to catch up with Deidara. Sasori summons the Third Kazekage puppet and declares that he will use Kakashi for his next project. At the same time, Yuzaga and Naruto prepare to face off against Deidara.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Retribution<strong>

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><p>"Good bye, Kakashi Hatake." Sasori's Iron Sand Shower shot through the air, the bullets ready to pierce their targets. "Damn." Kakashi cursed, throwing himself in front of the bullets.<p>

"Kakashi!" Akatsuchi exclaimed, starting forward. He was thrown back by a blast of sparks as Kakashi seemed to explode into lightning. "What happened?!" Kurotsuchi asked.

"What?! This isn't possible!" Sasori cried. The bullets from the Iron Sand Shower had reversed direction and were striking the puppeteer and his weapon.

"It's definitely possible." The sand between Akatsuchi and his sister began shifting as Kakashi pulled himself from his hiding place. The two siblings gaped at him in wonder.

"What did you do?" Kurotsuchi asked. "I substituted myself with a Lightning Style Shadow Clone when Sasori was distracted by Naruto and Yuzaga. When the Iron Sand hit the clone, it exploded and released Lightning Style chakra. It reversed the magnetism and attracted the bullets to the magnetic chakra that the puppet uses." Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled at the maneuver.

"Hn. Thank you, Hatake." Sasori said contemptuously when the bullets stopped. "You alerted me to a weakness in the Iron Sand. No one has ever been smart enough to think to use Lightning Style chakra to counter the Iron Sand Shower."

Kakashi grinned wider. "Not just the Iron Sand Shower. If my Lightning Style worked on that, then it should work on any Iron Sand technique you use." Sasori's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."

The Iron Sand started moving around in the air, flitting around and sticking with other grains. "Iron Sand Gathering!" Sasori called out. The Sand was brought together with more magnetic chakra, forming two giant objects. One was a pyramid, and the other was a rectangular block.

"Try reversing _these_!" He twitched a finger, causing the puppet to flick its hand at Kakashi and the two Stone-nin. The two objects flew forward with astonishing speed for things so large.

"Uh-oh." Kakashi said, smile dropping from his face. "I don't think I'll be able to deflect these!" He called to the other two shinobi. They nodded and the three began dodging.

Kurotsuchi formed the Bird seal. "Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears!" Rocks shot out of the sand in the form of spears. The spears impaled the Iron Sand objects, trying to interrupt their flight.

"You'll need to do better than that!" Sasori called out as the Iron Sand simply morphed to evade. "Damn it!" Kurotsuchi cursed, immediately launching into another set of seals. She jumped to Kakashi and Akatsuchi, slamming her palms on the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Dome Jutsu!" Rock came out of the sand on both sides of the three as they crouched down. The two sides crashed together above their heads just as the two Iron Sand objects crashed into the dome.

"Ha!" Sasori laughed. "That was a good try!" The point of the Iron Sand spear had penetrated the dome. Sasori manipulated the hammer back and crashed it against the blunt end of the spear, driving it further in. The dome crumbled away.

"What?!" Sasori's eyes widened. His opponents were gone!

* * *

><p>"<em>Today's the day you die, you bastard traitor<em>!" Yuzaga ran forward, paying no heed to his earlier advice to Naruto. He placed his hands in the Monkey seal. "Wind Style: Slashing Wind Scythe Blade!" He brought his arms up in an X and slashed with his hands. A cross of wind cut through the air at the missing-nin.

Deidara easily guided his bird up over the attack. "Your hatred makes you weaker." He taunted. "You know that, right?" He threw his hand out, mouth opening to launch a spider-bomb at the angry Stone-nin. Yuzaga did some quick thinking, activating another Jutsu.

"Earth Style: Stone Armor Jutsu!" Rocks from the ground seemed to liquefy and crawl up the boy, forming powerful armor. The spider-bomb latched onto Yuzaga and detonated. The smoke was cut away by another Slicing Wind Scythe Blade, aimed at Deidara.

"Don't make me laugh!" Deidara cried, easily dodging once more. "You'll never hit me with that!" "I wasn't trying to!" Deidara turned, eye widening. Yuzaga had used the Slicing Wind Scythe Blade as a distraction, running under the bird and jumping off the wall to get at the missing-nin from behind.

"Earth Style: Crumble Fist!" He drove his rock-covered fist into Deidara's face, breaking his scope and throwing him off the bird. "Now, Naruto!" Yuzaga cried out. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four clones jumped up, grabbed Deidara's arms and legs, and drove him into the ground.

"Hold him!" Yuzaga called from atop the bird. He clapped his hands together. He drew them apart, forming a glowing sphere between them. "Hey," Naruto began. "That looks like my Rasengan."

"It's not." Yuzaga answered. "It's the Dust Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" The sphere shot out of Yuzaga's hands and hit Deidara in the chest. The outer sphere expanded, surrounding the missing-nin and the four clones. The inner sphere imploded, dissolving all five targets.

"Yes!" Naruto cried, trying to push down the memories the clones sent him. "We did it!"

* * *

><p>"Earth Style: Erupt!" The sands under Sasori began shifting as something began to surface. Sasori was thrown away as a huge rock burst from the sand. It looked somewhat like a volcano, with a flat top. On that top, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi were crouched down with their hands on the rock. In the air, propelled from the mountain, was Kakashi, coming down with his arm lit with his signature attack.<p>

"Lightning Blade!" He was feet away from the former Sand-nin, about to thrust the attack through, when the Iron Sand wrapped around Kakashi, stopping him in his tracks. "Nice try, Hatake." Sasori commended, picking himself up. "But you've lost now. Time to join me for _eternity_!" He manipulated the Iron Sand objects to point at Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi.

"Time for them to die!" The objects began moving, but the Stone-nin were doing a good job of evading. For the moment. Kakashi trained his Sharingan on the Kazekage puppet. The Sharingan transformed. Kakashi would need time to utilize his attack.

* * *

><p>"Idiots." Yuzaga and Naruto cut their cheering short at the contemptuous voice. "It was a Clay Clone." Both of them were hit with globs of clay. "Oh, crap. I know where this is going." Yuzaga said. Deidara appeared before them.<p>

"Fire Style: Burning Pressure!" He put a palm to each of their chests, and roaring flames blasted the two back. Smoke rolled from Deidara's palms. "Damn." He started, shaking his hands. "That stings."

Naruto groaned, trying to stand. "Get up, man." Yuzaga used the blond to pull himself up. "I friggin' hate when he does that." "Are you two ready to get serious about fighting me? Parlor tricks won't cut it." Deidara vowed.

"I'm dead serious." Yuzaga growled. "Wind Style: Slashing Wind Scythe Blade!" He sent two more wind blades at the missing-nin. "I said get _serious_!" Deidara cried, sidestepping.

"And I said, 'I'm dead serious.'" Deidara cocked an eyebrow and turned. His bird was missing its wings. The bird was laying on the ground, and Gaara's leg poked out of its mouth.

"Hn. Not bad." Deidara conceded. He turned back to see nobody. "What the hell? What now, hmm?" He heard the ground crack under him and he was thrown off his feet as Naruto erupted from the rocks below. "Na!"

Another clone appeared behind him. "Ru!" He raised his leg high over his head and brought it down on Deidara's head. The missing-nin impacted hard against the ground, bouncing up a few feet into the air.

A third Naruto rushed up as Deidara fell, kicking him in the side with his boot. "To!" Deidara flew, gliding just inches off the ground. Yuzaga appeared in the missing-nin's path, hands in the Snake seal.

"Earth Style: Pillar Jutsu!" He slammed his palms against the ground. Cracks started forming, leading toward the airborne nin. Just when Deidara passed over the cracks a spire of rock burst from the ground, propelling Deidara high into the air with a disgusting cracking noise.

The real Naruto appeared, dropping from the sky in Deidara's path of flight. He flipped, putting both feet down. "Uzumaki Barrage!" He drove both feet into Deidara's chest in a perfect drop kick. Deidara spat blood and shot down to the ground, forming a crater. Naruto landed nearby.

"Was _that_ good enough for you?"

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><p>"You rats are pretty good at dodging." Sasori complimented. Kurotsuchi began making seals. "Lava Style: Quicklime Jutsu!" She launched another volley of that same white substance at the puppeteer.<p>

"That won't work on me twice!" He declared, swiftly moving out of the way. He was met by Akatsuchi. "Earth Style: Shatter Fist!" His right arm was encased in stone, like his younger brother's attack, but instead of the stones meshing together to form a somewhat smooth gauntlet, all Akatsuchi's stones were jagged.

"_Rahhh_!" The large man growled, lashing out. Sasori dodged again. "Trying to maneuver me into your brother's attack?" Sasori asked Kurotsuchi with a contemptuous smile. "That won't work either." Kurotsuchi smirked. "Check your face, Doll-Boy."

Sasori lifted a hand up, causing the puppet to move a little. He felt of his face, noticing a chunk was missing from his cheek. His smile changed to a look of shock, and then a crazy grin.

"So…you made contact." He moved his hands, making the puppet lift its left arm. "I think it's time to immobilize you. Puppet Style:" He cried. The arm snapped apart, revealing several compartments with seals on them. "Thousand Arms Manipulation!" Each seal burst into a cloud of smoke, revealing a thousand arms that seemed to reach for an eternity.

Kurotsuchi cried out as she was grabbed and driven into the sand by the arms. Sasori manipulated a few of the arms, which opened as well. They released more arms that reached for Akatsuchi.

"Earth Style: Earth Golem Jutsu!" Akatsuchi spat out another Earth Golem to block the hands, but they punched right through. They overwhelmed the large Stone-nin, holding him down to the sand. Sasori twitched a finger and the left arm detached, leaving a saw blade in its place.

"No backup coming for you, Hatake." Sasori taunted, finally training his focus on the Copy Ninja. "Wait…what are you doing?!" Kakashi had finally achieved the focus he needed for his special technique, and was staring Sasori in the face.

"Kamui!" He began to strain, and Sasori's face started to warp. Black lines of energy began swirling around, but Kakashi's eye began flicking erratically. He tried to keep the focus on Sasori's head, but the gaze shifted to the puppet. Blood began dripping from the corner of his eye. With the sound of splintering wood, the top part of the puppet disappeared entirely. The Iron Sand objects, as well as the sand holding Kakashi, dropped to the ground. Kakashi landed in a crouch, Lightning Blade active again.

"I'll end it here!" Kakashi panted. He thrust his arm into the stomach cavity of the puppet, grabbing the metal rod the cable was wound around. Sasori's body began convulsing as the electricity flowed through his body. The gash in his face and his eye sockets flickered with light, showing what was happening inside the hollow body.

Kakashi let the body drop, disgusted. "Rest in peace." He snarled. He made a few seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" He breathed flames on the Thousand Arms, freeing the Stone-nin. His eyes crinkled, showing his smile, and he fell over.

"He's out." Kurotsuchi remarked. "That's the power of the Sharingan. He overused it. But I've never heard of a Sharingan doing that…" They looked to Sasori's puppet body.

"Well…at least it's over." As they watched, they noticed something very important: the cylinder from Sasori's chest was gone.

"That hurt. But at least I don't have to weaken Kakashi anymore. He should be proud. The Mangekyo wouldn't take the toll it takes if he was my puppet."

* * *

><p>Deidara crawled to his feet in the bottom of the crater. His arm was bent at a weird angle, but other than that he didn't look that injured. "That was impressive." He declared. He grabbed his arm and jerked. He grunted in annoyance as his arm snapped back into place.<p>

"Now, where was I, hmm?" He grinned evilly. "That's right. _My turn_!" He formed a seal. "_Ha_!" Naruto and Yuzaga looked around them. There were hundreds of spider-bombs scattered around them. They all started to glow.

"Damn it! He must've been scattering them when we-" Naruto was cut off by the massive chain of explosions. "Wind Style: Trunade!" Yuzaga's voice cried out just as the bombs began to detonate. A giant green whirlwind appeared around the two shinobi, blowing the bombs away from them. Deidara was the one blasted back by his own bombs.

"-attacked." Naruto finished meekly. "Nice save." Yuzaga smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks. But I know Deidara's still alive. We're gonna have to go with everything. No more Taijutsu. We go for the kill with every attack." Naruto nodded.

"Fantastic. Now that you've got a battle plan, why don't we kick this up a notch?" Deidara thrust his hands out, and four globs of clay plopped onto the ground. Each glob was connected to Deidara's hands with a thin string of clay. He focused his chakra, and each blob took the shape of a humanoid warrior. However, they weren't like Deidara's usual creations. These were sloppy and misshapen.

"Let's go!" The warriors ran forward, two for each shinobi opponent. "I'm gonna even up the odds!" Naruto cried, running forward. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another blond boy appeared and they both began exchanging blows with two of the warriors. They soon found that their attacks didn't work as their fists got caught in the clay.

"Ha!" Deidara exclaimed, making a seal. Both warriors exploded, taking Naruto and the clone with them. "No!" Yuzaga yelled, dodging attacks from both of his opponents. He jumped back from them, hands in the Snake seal.

"Earth Style: Fissure!" He stomped the ground, opening a crack that would take those warriors straight to hell. They fell in, and began dragging Deidara by the thin strands of clay that connected them. He cut the strands as Yuzaga closed the fissure.

"So you took out my warriors. I took out your friend." He smiled. "Seems like a fair trade. Sure, Itachi's gonna be mad at me for killing his target, but that just means I'll get my rematch earlier than I expected."

"I don't think you're gonna get any rematches." Yuzaga said. "What are you talking about, hmm? You don't think you can beat me, do you little Yuzaga?" "I'm not so little anymore. And you have more to worry about." "Yeah?" Deidara asked with a smile.

"What would that be?" "_Me_!" Deidara looked up just in time for Naruto to drop from the sky, hands clasped together. He brought his hands down on Deidara's head, hammering him back into the ground. Naruto flipped back to land by Yuzaga.

Deidara began laughing from the crater. "If Gaara or Jikai had been as resilient as you, they might've had a chance." Naruto went livid. "What did you say," He began, voice getting deeper and more gruff. "you bastard?!" Wind started to whip around him, throwing up dust. Small rocks around him shattered and were carried away on the breeze.

"Oh? This is interesting, hmm?" Deidara said with a perverse smile. Naruto bared his teeth, incisors becoming fangs. His hair and whiskers thickened, and his eyes changed.

"Yuzaga," He began, voice more a growl than anything else. "get back…" Yuzaga looked at the Leaf-nin in confusion. "You don't wanna get in my way!" And he vanished.

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><p>"How many times do we have to kill this guy?!" Kurotsuchi asked angrily. "You didn't kill me before. I changed bodies." The Stone-nin looked shocked and disgusted. "Did I forget to mention that?" He smiled, and the fourth scroll on his back lit up.<p>

He opened the scroll, and the compartment on the right side of his chest. Hundreds of chakra strings burst from the compartment and into the scroll. "Red Secret Move: Performance of a Hundred Puppets." The strings began retracting from the scroll, each bringing a full-sized, human puppet with it.

"This is the technique I conquered a country with. What chance do you two weak shinobi stand?" All traces of any emotion but indignation fell away from Kurotsuchi's face. "Weak? We're the bodyguards to the Tsuchikage! Shinobi from the Hidden Stone are _anything but weak_!" She launched into a volley of signs.

"Lava Style: Armor!" The ground around her started to heat up, bubbling into boiling magma that slowly crawled up the kunoichi's legs. If she felt any pain from it, she didn't show it. Her clothing and ninja tools remained unscathed as the was fully covered in the deadly armor.

"Let's go!" She called to Akatsuchi. She leaped forward, straight into the fray. Sasori moved the puppets in for a direct assault. "Big mistake!" Kurotsuchi taunted, letting the puppets come. As soon as they made contact, they burst into flames and melted away. Sasori moved the puppets back, but inadvertently gave her a perfect line straight to him.

"I've got you now!" She cried. However, when she got close, she saw two pipes sticking out of Sasori's hands. Her eyes widened, not knowing their purpose. Sasori smiled. "_Too late to get away_! Water Stream Shooters!" He doused the burning girl, sending her flying back through his puppets. The Lava Armor was cooled by the water, immobilizing Kurotsuchi in the rocky covering. Akatsuchi moved in and caught her.

"You were reckless, sis." He set her on her feet and flicked her on the shoulder. The armor cracked and the girl was freed. "I wouldn't try that again." The large man advised. He looked over at Kakashi, who wasn't unconscious like everyone thought. He subtly motioned for Akatsuchi to be quiet and distract Sasori, his Mangekyo Sharingan activated again.

"We've gotta take those puppets down." Akatsuchi said quietly. Kurotsuchi nodded. "Where's Yuzaga when you need him?" Just then, Sasori set the puppets on them.

* * *

><p>Deidara chuckled. "You can't hide from me. I've trained my left eye to see through Genjutsu. Sort of an anti-Sharingan thing. It's had the added effect of allowing me to see people and objects traveling at Sharingan-speed." He was twisting and turning, following Naruto with his eyes. Yuzaga didn't see how it was possible. The blond shinobi was moving so fast he couldn't even get a lock on the boy's chakra signature.<p>

"There you are!" Deidara screamed, throwing a bomb. Naruto reappeared behind Deidara, thrusting an elbow into the missing-nin's back. Deidara cursed. _"An afterimage. He's even faster than the Sharingan can follow!"_ The other blond was flying right at his own bomb. What Deidara had expected to happen was that the bomb would catch the Jinchuriki right as he ran at Deidara. He hadn't counted on an afterimage.

"Yuzaga!" Naruto yelled. The Stone-nin stomped the ground. "Earth Style: Earth Dome!" The dome closed over Deidara and his bomb, just as it detonated. The dome was blown apart, but the two shinobi were shielded from the blast.

"I'll fuckin' kill you." Deidara hissed from inside the smoke. He strode out, his cloak singed. "I think you've just become worthy of my C2." He grinned maniacally. He opened his hand, holding a small clay dragon. He threw the sculpture into the air and signed.

"Go!" He jumped up as a cloud of smoke obscured the others' vision. The two heard a giant flapping noise that nearly deafened them and buffeted the winds away. They saw a giant dragon with a segmented tail.

"What the hell is that?!" Yuzaga exclaimed. "I'll rip it apart!" Naruto answered. "Please! I'll blow you two straight to hell! This is my C2 Dragon!" He made a seal and two segments of the tail vanished. The dragon opened its mouth and launched two identical dragons.

"Die!" "Fire Style: Inferno!" Yuzaga put his hands together, and then brought them apart. A ball of flames appeared, and he threw it before placing his hands in the Monkey seal. "Wind Style: Updraft!" He aimed his outstretched hands at the ball of flames and shot streams of wind directly into its heart. The ball expanded to three times the original size, engulfing both bombs.

Naruto growled, leaping through the smoke. Yuzaga's eyes widened. _"He's gonna get killed."_ The blond shinobi flipped, slashing his claws into Deidara's shoulders. The clay-wielding shinobi fell back, somersaulted, and landed on his feet. Naruto appeared in front of him, tendrils of orange chakra swirling around him. He lashed out with two punches that cracked ribs, causing Deidara to step back. Naruto pursued, slashing with his right hand from Deidara's left shoulder to his right hip. Then, he crouched down, arms crossed over his chest. He slashed both arms out horizontally, scoring deep cuts in the missing-nin's cloak. Finally, Naruto leaned back, delivered a devastating uppercut that sent Deidara into the air, and ended his combo with an aerial punch to the chest that smashed Deidara into the ground.

All of that happened in just a few seconds, and Yuzaga didn't see any of it. Naruto appeared next to his prone opponent. He reached down, digging his claws into Deidara's cloak, and pulled him up. "Fight back!" He growled into the former Stone-nin's face. Quicker than Naruto thought possible, Deidara's hands were on his chest. "Fire Style: Burning Pressure!" Naruto was blasted back, and Deidara dropped back to the ground.

"Little bitch." He crawled to his feet, brushing himself off. His eyes flicked to his left, where Yuzaga was running at him. "Wind Style: Slashing Wind Scythe Blade!" Deidara smirked. "This again?" He started to jump back to dodge just as Yuzaga was moving past him. Everything happened in slow motion as the Dust-user swung his hand high and felt his attack hit flesh. Deidara's eyes widened as he watched his right arm, the one with his ring, fly into the air. Yuzaga stumbled to a stop, and Deidara crashed into a heap ten feet away.

"My arm!" He screamed. "You little bastard! I'll plant bombs in your guts and blow your insides _outside_!" "Try it!" Yuzaga yelled back. "I'll take everything you've got, and I'll _still_ get back up to kick your ass!"

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><p>For the first few minutes it was nearly impossible to get an attack off at any of the puppets. It was all they could do to use defensive Jutsu. Eventually, however, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi got used to the rhythm of the puppets' attacks.<p>

"Let's take 'em out!" Kurotsuchi cried, forming seals. "Lava Style: Quicklime Jutsu!" She fired the white substance at Sasori once more. It was now completely dark, and the Quicklime put off a sort of glow. "Water Style: Water Trumpet!" At least twenty puppets had been caught in the trap.

"This isn't so hard, is it Akatsuchi?!" The large man sweat dropped. "Maybe not to you." He muttered with a smile. "Earth Style: Shattered Fist!" He covered both arms with the jagged rocks and displayed amazing speed to quickly behead all the captured puppets. However, he was caught unawares by three puppets that came up behind him.

"Behind you!" He whirled, bashing two foes away, but the third drove a sword through his shoulder before being broken to bits. Sasori began laughing. "_There's_ a finisher! You'll be dead soon, now! All my puppets' weapons are coated with multiple types of poison. Soon, that arm will feel like it's on fire, and that sensation will seep into the rest of your body! It'll be over soon!"

"Akatsuchi, you have to stop fighting!" Kurotsuchi cried. "If you don't move, you'll survive longer!" "I can't stop fighting!" He declared. "I have to do my part in this fight!" He held his hand against the wound in his shoulder, collecting some of the blood to use with seals.

"Summoning Jutsu!" The whole area exploded with smoke, and a powerful trumpeting noise sounded. The smoke cleared and a building-sized, brown furred mammoth pawed at the ground.

"Iwagakure Summoning Special! Warstone Mammoth!" Akatsuchi leapt onto the creature's back. "Let's go! Collaboration Jutsu!" He pumped chakra into the beast, steadily becoming weaker in the process.

"_Go_! Mudslide Battle Charge!" The mammoth lifted its trunk, blasting high-pressure mud that knocked back the puppets that had charged at them. The Warstone Mammoth then reared back on its hind legs and charged into the middle of the mudslide. It easily ran through the mud, crushing puppets under its girth.

"Destroy as many puppets as you want!" Sasori called out. "For every one destroyed, that's just more focus I can give to the remaining puppets!" It was true. Sasori was down to about half his original number, and the ones left were fighting harder, better, and were more difficult to land a hit against. Akatsuchi had already taken more hits in the form of minor scratches, but each one weakened him exponentially. The Warstone Mammoth had several swords sticking from its belly, and one through its trunk. One tusk was sliced clean off.

As Kurotsuchi watched, the mammoth fell to the ground. Akatsuchi rolled off, collapsing on the sand. Another blast of smoke signaled the exit of the Warstone Mammoth. Kurotsuchi ran to her fallen brother.

"Akatsuchi, are you alright?!" The man didn't answer. He shuddered and his eyes flickered. "He's just unconscious." She said in wonder. She turned to Sasori, eyes passing over the Copy Ninja in the process. She doubled back, making sure she was seeing right.

* * *

><p>Deidara was getting pretty reckless with his attacks. He didn't care about anything but blasting Yuzaga into oblivion…and maybe making good on his promise to blow his insides outside.<p>

"Damn it!" Yuzaga cried as he dodged another blast from the C2 Dragon. "Where's Naruto?!" Wind began to whistle and Deidara cursed. Yuzaga had to leap to the side as the dragon's wing crashed to the ground where he'd been standing. The other wing landed not far away. The huge dragon slammed into the ground and Deidara toppled from its back.

"I've had enough of this!" He cursed. "It's not even worth sealing that One-Tailed fucker!" He opened his mouth wide and started chomping down on his own detonation clay.

"Uh-oh." Yuzaga could sense the chakra building up in Deidara's system, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Deidara was going to detonate himself. "Naruto!" He screamed. "We've gotta do something!" Naruto jumped from where he was hidden, landing next to his friend. "I'm here. What do you suggest?" "I suggest we kill him." He raised his hand up. "I agree." Naruto brought his hand up and they high-fived.

Yuzaga clapped his hands together to form a Dust Style technique. At the same time, Naruto formed a clone to shell out chakra for the Rasengan. But when Yuzaga pulled his hands apart, and Naruto tried forming his Spiral Sphere, nothing happened.

"What…what's happening?!" Naruto asked. "I swear…this has _never_ happened to me before!" "We're low on chakra." Yuzaga noted. "_How_?! We've been chomping chakra pills for hours!" "We've been fighting for at least an hour. The pills have worn off. And we don't have time for them. Look."

He was right. Deidara's body was already starting to balloon. "We need to get out of here." Yuzaga said. "We can't just run! What about Jikai?! And we have to save Gaara!"

"Gaara's right there! We can grab him easily! Besides, if Deidara blows himself sky-high, Jikai will have been avenged!" "It won't be the same! You'll hate yourself for not dealing the finishing blow yourself!"

"Then what are we supposed to do, Naruto?!" The blond pondered for a minute. "We share chakra. I did it with Sasuke once, and it ended up being a super-powerful Jutsu." "We…share chakra. That might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. But, if we're gonna do it, we better do it fast. What Jutsu do we do: Dust Style, or Rasengan?"

They high-fived again. "I say…we do them both!"

* * *

><p>"Earth Style: Multiple Pillar Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi crouched down, repeatedly punching the ground. With each punch a pillar burst from the sand in front of the one that came before it. Each pillar knocked a few puppets away from her, but they weren't damaged too badly and she remained surrounded by the puppets.<p>

"You can keep wasting chakra by using those high-level Earth Jutsu, or you can surrender. I can't promise you'll die quickly though." He smiled evilly. "Or painlessly." Kurotsuchi looked at him incredulously, slumping a little because of her shortage of chakra.

"I'll never give up! And I won't let these lifeless puppets kill me either! You'll have to come down here and do it yourself!" Sasori cocked an eyebrow. "Fine." The blades behind him began spinning and throwing up sparks.

"_I will_!" He screamed, shooting forward. He grabbed a sword from one of the puppets as he flew at her. Kurotsuchi tried standing, but dropped back down. _"Damn it!"_ She thought. _"I won't be able to dodge! Whatever you're going to do, Kakashi, you need to do it now!"_ Sasori was just feet from her and drew back to run her through.

"Kamui!" Kakashi yelled from where he laid on the ground. Sasori's eyes went as wide as they'd go as he stopped. His blades stopped spinning and his body dropped down to its knees. He looked down and saw a saw blade sticking horizontally through his chest. It was spinning, and it had pierced the 'Scorpion' cylinder.

Sasori turned his head and saw the rest of the Third Kazekage puppet behind him. "H-how?" He rasped. Kakashi struggled to his feet. "It wasn't easy." He panted. "I had to wait until you let your guard down. My Kamui can send and bring things back from another dimension. I don't know how it works yet, but it's very useful. I activated the ability right as you began flying. I had to time it to where the puppet would only appear once you'd flown mostly past it."

The Copy Ninja staggered over to Kurotsuchi, who was still slumped over. "You performed admirably." He said, patting her on the shoulder. She slid all the way to the ground. Only then did Kakashi see the pool of blood under her and the sword that Sasori had impaled her with.

"Three and counting." Sasori said with a raspy laugh. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Stone-nin." The redhead explained. "We've killed three. And when Deidara's through, it'll be four. And a Leaf-nin." Then he got serious. "You did well to defeat me in such a way. You hit my only weakness. I've decided to reward you with some information that won't do me any good anymore."

Kakashi's interest was piqued. "In two weeks one of my spies will be at the Tenchi Bridge in the Land of Grass. He holds information that will interest you. He's been spying on Orochimaru for quite some time." Kakashi's eyes widened. "Your teammate is the Uchiha, right? I know Orochimaru wants him. My spy knows where he is…" Sasori stopped talking and fell forward. His chakra strings struggled to stay active, but there was no more chakra. His last puppets dropped to the ground behind him.

Kakashi looked around, wondering if what Sasori said was true. He forced himself over to the two Stone-nin, looking for pulses. Both were still alive, but barely. "Damn. Summoning Jutsu!" He summoned Bull, who picked all three up and padded back to the Sand Village.

"_Naruto…Yuzaga…you two have to finish this…I can't be there to help you. But I know you can do it."_ He smiled before closing his eyes. _"I've never used my Mangekyo this much. I'm wiped out. I need more training…"_

* * *

><p>"He's about to detonate!" Yuzaga said, feeling the buildup of chakra in the Missing-nin. The two pooled their chakra together, making their hands glow. They pulled them apart, forming a sphere between them. The outer sphere glowed bright white, but the inner sphere was black, and swirled like a hurricane.<p>

"Who's gonna take the shot?" Naruto asked. "Go for it." Yuzaga offered. "It's your vendetta. You should do it." They kept arguing until they felt the ground begin to shake.

"Damn! He's gonna blow!" Yuzaga cried. He took off running, sphere floating just above his hand. He stumbled a few times as the ground quaked, but he got to Deidara just as the Missing-nin started to detonate. Everything happened in slow motion: Yuzaga saw Deidara's bloated body one second, then the next he saw a corona of flames. He threw his hand forward.

"Dust Style: Rasengan!" The explosion was contained by the first sphere, and the second expanded to catch Deidara. It left nothing. However, the force of the detonation couldn't be kept inside of the sphere. The transparent dome cracked and shuddered, then gave way completely. The sphere released all its contents in a wave of spiraling wind and fire that blew Yuzaga and Naruto back into the sheer cliff face behind them.

* * *

><p>A strange man stood over the puppet body of Sasori of the Red Sand. He was a man of average height, but seemed much taller due to his…weird accessories. Sprouting from his neck was a huge Venus-flytrap. His hair was a dull green, and his body was both black <em>and<em> white. The left side was white, and the right was black. His eyes were yellow.

He wore a familiar garment. A black cloak with red clouds. Standing with him was an equally strange man. He was about as tall as the other man (flytrap non-withstanding, of course) and had similar short hair, albeit black. He wore an orange, swirly mask that covered one eye, a black long-sleeve, high-collared shirt, black gloves, and a pair of dark pants. He also wore a thick black belt with armor metal plates attached to it. He wore the same metal plates on his shoulders, along with a green scarf.

"This is pretty gruesome, isn't it Zetsu?" He said goofily. "Be more serious, you jackass." Zetsu rasped. Then he spoke again in a lighter voice. "Be nice to Tobi. Tobi's a good boy."

"Yeah!" Tobi exclaimed happily. "Tobi's a good boy!" But inside his head he was replaying images from the battle between Sasori and Kakashi. Images that came from just one eye. A left eye.

"Does this mean I get to join the Akatsuki?" Tobi asked, holding up Sasori's ring. "Zetsu! Are you really planning on letting this moron into the Akatsuki?!" Both turned to see Deidara walking through the sand, carrying his severed arm.

"Oh, so you didn't die?" Zetsu's two voices asked together. "Shut up! You know when both of you talk together it gives me a headache. Let's go. I've gotta get Kakuzu to reattach this." He motioned with his severed arm. They began walking away. "Who the hell is _this_ guy, anyway?" "Tobi's a good boy!"

* * *

><p><strong>A Few Days Later<strong>

* * *

><p>Yuzaga woke up in a hospital room. From the sandstorm raging outside, he guessed he was still in Sunagakure. Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi sat in chairs beside the bed. Kurotsuchi had bandages wrapped around her torso, but didn't look too bad. Akatsuchi was another matter. Before they could say anything, he was sitting up and gaping at his brother.<p>

"Where's your arm?!" Akatsuchi tried to laugh, but immediately gasped and sucked in a deep breath. "It's not important. What's important is that you're ok." They went on to describe their battle with Sasori. He learned that it was Sakura that had helped the Sand doctors get rid of Sasori's poison. However, the muscles and tendons in Akatsuchi's arm had been severed by the sword that went through his shoulder. There wasn't anything they could do to save his arm.

"Wait…Where are Naruto and Gaara?" Yuzaga asked. Kurotsuchi smiled and went to the door. She opened it and the two Jinchuriki walked in together. Neither one of them showed any damage from their battles.

"Thank you." Gaara rasped. "Not many shinobi would have come to my aid like you and your siblings did." Yuzaga smiled. "It's no problem. It's what Jikai would have wanted me to do." Gaara also smiled, the concept looking foreign to him. "I'm truly sorry to hear about Jikai. He and I would have made good…friend."

Yuzaga looked between his siblings. "You're right. You three would've been great friends. I've already become friends with Naruto, and I'd like to be your friend too." Gaara nodded. "It was done when you came to help me." "From this day on, for as long as I'm alive, the Leaf, Sand, and Stone will be allies. Nobody will _ever_ try to touch us." Yuzaga declared.

* * *

><p>Just a few hours later, the parties from the Leaf and Stone were at the edge of the Village, preparing to leave. Gaara and his siblings stood to see them off. Kankuro stepped forward. "Naruto, Yuzaga, I can't thank you two enough for saving my baby brother." Naruto shook his head.<p>

"You don't have to thank us. It was a no-brainer." Sasuke smiled. "Well then, you two were the right men for the job." Everyone laughed while Yuzaga and Naruto turned to the Uchiha.

"What did you even _do_ on this mission, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "Yeah, didn't you just hang at the hospital?" Sasuke laughed. "I think I saved you from having to scrape Naruto off the sand."

The seven shinobi gave one last wave and turned back toward their home villages. "We'll walk with you till we get to the forest." Yuzaga offered. "You don't really have a choice." Naruto said. He pointed at Akatsuchi. The one-armed man was carrying Kakashi on his back.

"You might have to come to the Leaf Village with us." Kakashi laughed. "Cool. It'll be a nice vacation for awhile." Yuzaga said. _"Not for us."_ Kakashi thought. _"In less than two weeks we'll be heading for the Land of Grass…"_ Not privy to Kakashi's thoughts, everyone took off at a run toward the Hidden Leaf.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it. The first set of Akatsuki fights has begun. The fights might have been a little strange, but I haven't had the chance to write in a month…actually, probably longer. I'm not sure. Regardless, Sasori has been eliminated, but Tobi has arrived to take his place. Kakashi has shown his Mangekyo, and we inadvertently make the connection between Kakashi and Tobi earlier than in the mangaanime. But nobody in the story is privy to the information. Mwahaha. I'm so devious. So, tenth chapter down, quite a few to go. You'll be reading this fic for awhile yet, so don't worry. More righteous fighting next time. By the by, I now have all my OCs for my Seven Swordsmen of the Mist fic, and shall be writing the first chapter soon. No need to worry, and be on the lookout. Ja Nae.**


	11. Tenchi Bridge: Immortal Zombies?

**What If**

**By: DisasterMaster445**

**Still having computer troubles, so updates will be few and far between, I'm afraid. Last time, Sasori was eliminated. However, he gave Kakashi interesting information regarding a certain informant of his. This informant had been spying on Orochimaru for quite some time, and was getting ready for a meeting with the puppeteer. But that ship has sailed. Meanwhile, Yuzaga and Naruto seemingly defeat Deidara, but the blond manages to live. He retreats with Zetsu and Tobi. Later, the Stone-nin and Leaf-nin leave the Sand Village. Yuzaga and his siblings decide to go with Kakashi's team back to the Leaf, hoping for a little downtime.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Tenchi Bridge - Immortal Zombies?<strong>

* * *

><p>"Cha!" The pinkette lunged forward, throwing punch after punch at her prey. The Dust-nin, Yuzaga, leaped back, dodging each punch with his hands nonchalantly in his pockets.<p>

"Take me seriously, you bastard!" Sakura cried. "It wouldn't be _training_ if I let you hit me." He laughed. "It'd be me in traction." She kept after him, and his siblings watched, bemused, from the sidelines.

"This isn't even training for you!" the girl panted, still swinging. "Why don't you find Naruto?!" "Because they demolished an entire training field yesterday, trying for that Dust-Style Rasengan." Sasuke interrupted. He appeared between the two shinobi, easily catching the bone-breaking punch from his teammate.

Yuzaga looked sheepish. "Think they were mad?" Naruto and the others had been back in the village for about a week, resting up. Kakashi had been in the hospital, and hadn't seen them in a few days. He'd seen the Hokage, and a few members of the ANBU though. The shinobi had been using the time to practice, feeling somewhat inferior after seeing the skills of the Akatsuki first hand.

"They can always fix it." Sasuke laughed, releasing Sakura's fist. The Uchiha had seen his two friends destroy the training field the previous day, attempting to recreate the jutsu they'd used against Deidara. He was somewhat overwhelmed by their combined power, and wasn't terribly fond of the Stone-nin staying in the village.

"Anyway, the Hokage called for everyone." He flicked his eyes at the Stone-nin. "_Everyone_."

* * *

><p>"I've called you here to tell you that Team Kakashi will be heading for the Tenchi Bridge today." Tsunade said as the group entered her office. Naruto grinned. "Alright! Mission time!" Sasuke smirked. "So we're going. But what about Kakashi? Isn't he still laid up?"<p>

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Don't you think I'm capable of finding a replacement?" A shadowy figure leaped through the window. He was wearing a Jonin's uniform, and a strange plate on his face. The plate was held on by an elastic band that wrapped around his head. His messy brown hair poked up around the top of the plate.

"Hello." The Jonin said with a wave. "My name is Yamato." Yuzaga, completely ignoring the man, decided to interject. "That's all well and good, but what's it got to do with us?"

"I've sent the Tsuchikage a message requesting your further assistance here in the Leaf Village. Because of Akatsuchi's injury, I decided that it would be good for the three of you to remain in the Village. Here, I can put Akatsuchi through extensive therapy he can't receive in the Stone Village. Plus, a little extra defense never hurt anyone."

* * *

><p>At the same time, in the sewers of Kumogakure, a woman raced away from her two pursuers. She was tall, with straight blond hair pulled into a tight ponytail. She wore dark clothes with cloud patterns. She turned, quickly, and blasted a fireball at the entrance leading back into the tunnel. The room rocked as the entrance fell in on itself.<p>

The woman ran into the next tunnel, darting off into a connecting one when she saw that this tunnel had collapsed too. She entered another room, ducking behind a piece of fallen ceiling. She heard another explosion. Probably her pursuers breaking through the barricade she'd left.

She wiped sweat away from her eyes, trying to make a plan. She knew the underground well, because of the intense training she'd went through in those very tunnels. She head the raucous footsteps of the first, the silver-haired man with the crazy eyes, and the calm steps of his partner. They wore matching robes…Akatsuki.

"Hey!" Called the voice of the first man. The splashes of his footsteps in the water were slower, but his voice echoed through the tunnel leading to the room she hid in. "Where are you, you little pussy!" He laughed loudly.

"Shut up, Hidan." Rasped the other man. "Fuck you." Was Hidan's response. "All this trouble fighting the bitch, and I don't even get to kill her? Jashin won't be happy with me about that, and you know it. Might as well have fun."

"All this religion isn't making me any money." The other man sighed. "Fuck money." Hidan cursed. "Jashin gives me everything I need." The woman narrowed her eyes.

"_What are they _doing_? I thought they wanted to kill me? Well, if they're going to be distracted, I'm going to go for the kill." _She grinned ferally, teeth sharpening and eyes turning white. Their footsteps stopped, but her sharp senses told her they were in th mouth of the tunnel.

Hidan whistled. "C'mere, little pussy." He whistled again. She leaped from her hiding place, intent on burning the foul-mouthed man to a crisp. She roared, and blasted a huge blue fireball at the entrance. She landed, smirking. But when the smoke cleared, her pursuers were nowhere to be found.

"That wasn't too bad, bitch." Hidan appeared behind her, left sleeve of his cloak singed. He struck out, smacking her across the room. She hit the water and bounced back up, still carried by the force of the hit. Hidan's partner flashed into existence in her path, landing a punch with a hard, black fist.

She flew back toward Hidan, already letting blue flames engulf her. _"I won't let them take me!"_ She thought as she landed in the water. The flames continued to rage around her, but she felt no pain, and they weren't affected by the water. These supernatural flames built up, taking the form of a gigantic two-tailed cat.

"So that's the Nibi." Hidan's partner said, thinking of the money he could get by killing this monstrosity. "I know what you're thinking, Kakuzu." Hidan muttered. "Fuck the money. To Jashin be the glory." And then…she pounced.

* * *

><p>"Now…we only have a week to make it into Grass Country. So I'd like to start by learning a little bit about you." Yamato and his team were walking along the path that would take them quickest to the Tenchi Bridge. The three Chunin looked rather skeptical of their new Sensei, so the unmasked ANBU decided to show how serious he was.<p>

"You'll learn that I'm different than Kakashi. I'm an easygoing guy, but I'm not afraid of more…draconian methods." He glared at them, face shadowed. Naruto began shivering, but Sasuke and Sakura weren't bothered.

"So." The Jonin said, face taking on a more normal expression. "My name's 'Yamato.' I was watching you three in the Chunin Exams. You did really well. I stopped the Sand-nin, Gaara, and the Stone-nin, Jikai, from transforming." Naruto's eyes widened, quizzically.

"You can do that?" Yamato smiled. "I inherited the First Hokage's Wood Style Ninjutsu." Sakura and Naruto's eyes popped open, and their mouths formed perfect Os, while Sasuke was inwardly impressed.

"Now that you three know a little bit about me, how about you say a few words about yourselves?" Sakura piped up first. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I like training my Medical Ninjutsu with Lady Tsunade, and honing my skills to become a great kunoichi."

Sasuke spoke up next. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I want to take down Orochimaru. He's the man that gave this to me." He pointed to his neck, where the Curse Mark was partially hidden by his jacket collar. "But my ultimate goal is to find my brother, Itachi, and make him pay for what he did to my family."

After thinking for a few seconds, Naruto began to speak. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Remember it. My only plan is to be a great ninja. And I'll become the greatest Hokage!"

* * *

><p>"And so I told him, 'Hey, you! The freak with no eyebrows! Put <em>this<em> in your Bingo Book - the ninja that will become the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves - he _never backs down_! His name is Naruto Uzumaki!'" The blond ninja laughed uproariously, regaling Yamato with stories from the team's younger days.

Yamato smiled. _"This kid's something else."_ They were resting in a spacious wooden cabin that Yamato had created with his Wood Style. There were four bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom. Somehow, the bathroom had running water.

"Heh. Tell him about what happened after that." Sasuke said. "There was this crazy plan that involved Shadow Clones, a kunai knife, and a Demon Wind Shuriken." "Oh _yeah_!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing into the rest of the story.

* * *

><p>"Fuckin' Cloud Village whore!" Hidan cursed as he rose from his position in the bloody circle. He pulled his spear from his side, inhaling through his teeth in ecstasy. The Jinchuriki, Yugito, was laying close-by. Hidan's fight with her had destroyed the sewers, but they were far enough from the village that no one would find out for awhile.<p>

"It's fuckin' stupid that we don't have a member from the Cloud Village. I seem to remember already catchin' my fuckin' target. That Han guy from my old village. Thought that was what we were doin'. Figured that's why Deidara went to Stone and Sasori hit Sand."

"Shut up, Hidan." Kakuzu said, picking up the unconscious body. Hidan continued as if he hadn't heard. "So here I am, pickin' up _your_ slack by finishing _your_ target. What's even left, anyway?!" He started ticking off his fingers.

"We've got Two, Four, Five, and Seven, right?" He turned to his partner, speaking sarcastically. "You're the numbers guy, right? How many does that mean we've still gotta catch?" He did some more thinking.

"And since Sasori fucked it up in Suna, there's no fuckin' way we're getting' One." Kakuzu's brow furrowed, struggling against the urge to try once more to kill his un-killable partner. He was interrupted in his musings by Zetsu materializing from the ground in front of them.

"The Leader sent me to collect the body. You two are to continue after your next target." He motioned to the body expectantly. Hidan narrowed his eyes as Kakuzu passed the woman to the plant-man.

"Just make sure not to eat her, you crazy flytrap motherfucker." He cursed. It seemed like Zetsu's white side smiled for a second before the strange man sank back into the ground.

"Where to now, anyway, Kakuzu?" The taller man sighed. "I suppose we should go to the next Land." "Yeah, but the closest to us is the Land of Fire. Thought there was only one Jinchuriki in the Land of Fire. Nine, right?

"Itachi'd be pretty mad if we took his target." Hidan smiled. "I'd like that." Kakuzu rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of target. We need to keep making money if we want this organization to prosper."

"Fuck the organization! Jashin's all about mass destruction! I just want the opportunity to kill _everyone_!" "Life doesn't work like that." Kakuzu argued. "Life is about money. So our 'mission' is getting the organization a little bit of money."

"Pfft. You know how I feel about that. Jashin provides everything I need. All your constant talking about money pisses me off. And when I get pissed off, I start to feel like 'I don't really care about the mission. I just want to break everything.'"

"Just shut up. Our 'target' is in a monastery in the Land of Fire. He has a bounty of 30,000,000 ryo." Hidan's eyes widened, shining with an unholy light. "Why didn't you say so? There's nothing I love _more_ than bringing the heretics of the world to Lord Jashin's swift judgment!"

* * *

><p>"So…my Wind Style jutsu is getting pretty shabby. I've only got a few in my arsenal, and Deidara saw all of them coming. Are there any Wind Style users in the Hidden Leaf?" Yuzaga was talking to Kakashi while the man was in the hospital. Surprisingly, the Copy Ninja liked the company of the would-be Tsuchikage.<p>

"I would suggest Temari, the Sand's Ambassador, but she's not in the Village now. With the scare with her brother, she decided to stay instead of accompanying us back to the Leaf. But, with her unavailable, seek out Asuma."

"Asuma, huh?" Kakashi nodded. "He'll most likely be at the BBQ place, treating his team. Or you could just look for Shikamaru." Yuzaga cocked an eyebrow at the Jonin. "The guy from the Chunin Exams…"

* * *

><p>"Ah-<em>choo<em>!" Shikamaru wiped his nose after the huge sneeze. He sat across from Ino and Choji, with Asuma beside him. They were chowing down on some BBQ at Choji's favorite place. Asuma's treat, of course.

"Bless you." Ino said. Shikamaru grunted thanks, eating another piece. She understood. With Choji around, you couldn't waste time with words if you wanted to eat. After a few more minutes, Asuma called the lunch to an end. When asked, he simply answered that he didn't want his wallet entirely empty.

"Hey!" The group turned, Choji still munching on a doggie bag. "What the hell's that guy doing here?" Shikamaru muttered. Asuma smiled, knowing the Shadow-user was still miffed about all his jutsu being broken by the Chunin that called them out.

"I guess you've gotta be Asuma, 'cause I know everybody else." The bearded Jonin nodded. "That's me. Asuma Sarutobi, at your service. What do you need?" "I need someone to help me with my Wind Style jutsu. I was told you're man for the job."

* * *

><p>"Well, there's not much I can show you in the way of jutsu, but I do have something I think you might enjoy." They were at Asuma's house. 'They' being Asuma, Shikamaru, and Yuzaga. Choji and Ino had wanted to watch, but Shikamaru convinced them to go home.<p>

"Gonna show off, huh Asuma-Sensei?" The bearded Jonin smiled, pulling out his trench knives. He focused, and a solid blade of chakra extended beyond the metal. Yuzaga's brow furrowed.

"That's not really anything new. I saw Sasuke Uchiha do that with a whole sword in the Chunin Exams. I used that to develop my Wind Style: Slashing Wind Scythe Blade." Asuma thought for a second.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but Wind Style is the most close-combat oriented chakra type." Yuzaga was intrigued. "Go on." Asuma chuckled, knowing he had the boy's attention. He whirled, throwing one of the knives. It shot straight through one of the trees in his yard, and shattered a boulder behind it.

Yuzaga's eyes were wide open - anime style. "That. Was. Amazing." Shikamaru had a smile on his face as he went to retrieve the knife. Asuma handed the other to the Stone-nin.

"Give it a shot." Yuzaga grinned with determination and began to focus his chakra. The blade vibrated in his hand as a thin film of chakra coated the blade. With another moment's concentration, the chakra flared up into a second blade, but much less stable. Yuzaga could vaguely sense Shikamaru beside him, doing the same exercise.

Yuzaga knew that if the Shadow-user had ill feelings about what happened in the Chunin Exams, it would be all too easy for him to run that blade through his gut. But he got the sense that the boy wasn't that kind of person.

He waited until he felt the chakra was powerful enough and let it loose. He saw the other blade flying beside it. Yuzaga's blade hit the tree, sinking halfway through. His spirits fell. However, as he watched, the blade sank a little deeper, slowly but surely wearing all the way through the wood. It fell to the ground behind the tree.

Shikamaru watched the knife disappear, then looked to the tree where his was stuck in the tree up to the second knuckle mark. He looked at Asuma, talking to the Stone-nin, and walked to the trees to retrieve both blades.

"You've got amazing control already." Asuma commented. "That was something we call a slow kill." Yuzaga looked confused. "What that means is that your chakra was enough to carry the blade into a fatal wound. But, you had enough chakra left in the blade for it to continue."

"That sounds easy." Yuzaga said. "You'd think so, but it's actually harder than just an outright pierce. Most people either put in enough to go all the way through the target, or they only put in enough to leave the blade deeper than it normally would." He thought for a moment.

"You said you'd seen Sasuke Uchiha use a blade like this?" Yuzaga nodded. "He called it a Kusanagi. Snake Sword." Asuma nodded. "I've seen it. Made from the same kind of chakra metal my trench knives are. Tell you what: I've got a Sarutobi Clan heirloom left to me by my grandfather." He walked into his house, coming back moments later with a long wooden case.

"My grandfather commissioned this in the Mist Village nearly 70 years ago. Got if from one of the last members of the Masamune Clan. They're the Clan that forged the Seven Swords of the Mist. I take it you've heard of them?" Who hadn't? Asuma passed the case over to Yuzaga.

"Go ahead. Open it." The Stone-nin pulled the lid off, staring with eyes wide open at what was inside. It was a long saber, sheathed in sturdy black leather. It had the hilt of a rapier, with a gold D-guard, but a simple, wooden handle. Yuzaga set the case on the ground, pulling the saber out.

He unsheathed the sword, revealing a three-foot blade of solid, polished chakra metal. The blade had no blemishes, and no rust. At the base of the blade, just above the guard, the kanji for Monkey was engraved.

"Channel your chakra into it. See if it accepts you." Yuzaga cocked his head. "You'd give this to me?" "It isn't doing me any good here. God rest my grandfather's soul, but swords aren't my thing." The Dust-user held the blade up in front of him, both hands on the handle, and began forcing his chakra into the blade. It glowed, and the metal where the kanji was engraved started to bubble.

"What's happening?" Shikamaru asked. The metal returned to normal, but with one change. The Monkey kanji had transformed into the kanji for Dust.

"That settles it." Asuma said. "The blade chose you. I'll teach you what I can about chakra metal, but maybe when Sasuke gets back from his mission he can teach you some Kenjutsu."

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><p>"Now, I don't know your fighting styles well, so we should take this last day to train and get to know each other better." Yamato had set up another of his special wooden buildings, but this time as a training facility. It only had one room, and was completely soundproof. He'd built it in a place where it wouldn't easily be seen.<p>

"I think you've gone over this with Kakashi, but I want to make sure. If you don't come at me like you're trying to kill me, you'll never succeed." Naruto smirked. "We understand. I'll kick this party off! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

* * *

><p>"Between Kakashi and Yuzaga, I've got all the information I need to mimic Sasori. Using this information, I hope to be able to fool the spy. After I get the information we're after, I'll quickly silence him, and we'll be on our way." Yamato had already hidden himself in a copy of Sasori's puppet body that Yuzaga destroyed in the Stone Village. He was practicing the voice.<p>

"If I need you, you'll know. Join the fight only when you get the signal." When they nodded, he spoke up in his own voice. "Let's get this bastard."

* * *

><p>"Heh. That wasn't <em>nearly<em> as hard as you said it'd be, Kakuzu!" Hidan exclaimed, pulling his triple-bladed scythe from the chest of the head monk, Chiriku. Kakuzu growled, retracting several hundred black thread-like entities from a group of the monks.

"I never said it would be hard!" He said. The entire temple was destroyed, and the dead bodies of hundreds of monks were scattered around the stone floor. "Whatever." Hidan said. "I got to kill this one, and give Jashin proper tribute. I'm perfectly happy." The silver-haired man's skin transformed from black back to normal as he left his cursed form.

On the other side of the castle, one monk survived. He was terribly battered, but had escaped the worst of the fighting. He didn't feel bad about escaping. Chiriku had told him that the first thing he had to do if the temple was attacked was to get to the Leaf Village and find the man called 'Asuma.'

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><p><strong>So…that's it. Very sorry about the lack of updates, but my computer is such a retarded piece of machinery. I've decided to mix two different arcs together. The Hidan and Kakuzu arc is being mixed with the Tenchi Bridge arc, and Sai is being written out altogether. Hate that guy. Well…he's <strong>_**alright**_**, but I don't want to write him into this story. I've already got a lot going on. I decided that I want Yuzaga to continue being part of the story, and the fact that I had Akatsuchi's arm taken off, I figure that gives me the opportunity. Since Naruto has already learned the Rasenshuriken, he already knows the weaknesses. He won't be using it in the fight against Kakuzu, but maybe he'll pull something else out of his hat. So I decided to have Yuzaga go through some training with Asuma instead. Tell me what you think. Ja Nae. BTW, sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I'll make up for it.**


	12. Tenchi Bridge: Immortal Zombies Part 2

**What If?**

**By: DisasterMaster455**

**Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been so busy with college, and I keep having computer problems. I've also been having trouble with motivation. But, I will continue to work on all of my stories. So, if you're a fan of my other works, keep the faith. I'll try and give you guys more updates. Last time Naruto and his team, minus Kakashi, made their way to the Tenchi Bridge for a meeting with Sasori's informant. Meanwhile Hidan and Kakuzu were causing trouble in Lighting Country and Yuzaga was doing a little training with Asuma. The chapter ended with Yamato, disguised as Sasori, about to make contact with the informant, and the Zombie Brothers massacring the monks of the Fire Temple.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Tenchi BridgeImmortal Zombies Part II**

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><p>"If what you've said is true, then Chiriku was taken?" Asuma asked. The Sarutobi head was standing in the office of the Hokage. He had been summoned by Tsunade because a monk from the Fire Temple had requested him. He told Tsunade and Asuma of the destruction of the Temple, and about the two men who took Chiriku's body.<p>

"Yes." The monk said. "Both men completely decimated the other monks. They were more powerful than anything I've ever seen. They wore Akatsuki cloaks." "Chiriku has a pretty hefty bounty on his head." Asuma reasoned. "There's a really good chance that's why he was killed. We should send out teams to stake out the collection places in the Land of Fire."

"Agreed." Tsunade said. "Shizune!" Tsunade's aide poked her head into the office. "Yes, Lady Tsunade?" "Send for all the Jonin in the village!" Shizune nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

><p>A lone man stood on a grand wooden bridge that spanned a wide chasm. His identity was hidden by a blue cloak. Yamato, in Sasori form, shuffled onto the bridge to meet him. He drew closer and closer until he could see under the man's hood.<p>

"Kabuto Yakushi." He said, not giving away any of his surprise. "Lord Sasori." Kabuto took off his hood and bowed. "Were you followed?" Yamato rasped. "I tried to keep as low a profile as possible." He promised. "I don't believe Orochimaru suspects me." Yamato nodded. "Good. I want your information then."

"What would you like to know?" Kabuto asked. "Where is Orochimaru? What are his current plans for Sasuke Uchiha?" Kabuto showed slight surprise. "The Akatsuki already seemed well informed." Yamato cursed. He may've given away too much.

"Well, Orochimaru has many hidden bases throughout the lands. He doesn't tell me which base we're moving to until it's time to move. As for Sasuke, Orochimaru plans to make a move on him soon. Other than that, I don't know his full plan." Yamato nodded.

"Good work." _"It's time to end this."_ Yamato thought, pulling out a kunai. Kabuto's eyes widened, and he leapt away just as a white blur struck at the place where he'd been standing. The informant landed beside Sasori.

"Thank you, Lord Sasori. If you hadn't pulled that kunai, I'd have been done for." _"Damn."_ Yamato thought. _"I won't be able to fool Kabuto if I have to fight. He'll see right through me."_ The Wood-Style user barely finished his thoughts when Kabuto struck out, breaking the Sasori puppet apart. Yamato jumped away from the wreckage, skidding to a stop with a good distance put between himself and the other two shinobi.

"Well." Orochimaru hissed. "I had hoped to kill Sasori myself. I see that honor has been taken." Yamato chuckled. "It wasn't me." He began to set his hands in a seal. "But I might be the one to kill you." Orochimaru smirked. "I'd like to see you try, boy." Yamato slammed his palms on the bridge.

"Wood Style: Wooden Pillar!" The wooden planks of the bridge began to warp in front of Yamato as a giant spire of wood shot into the air. That was the symbol agreed upon by the team. When Sasuke caught sight of the Jutsu he and the others rushed to their captain's aid.

The three Chunin appeared beside Yamato just as Kabuto threw himself at the Jonin. Naruto met him, kunai to kunai. His eyes widened. "Kabuto?!" The bespectacled man grinned. "Long time, no see…Naruto." Kabuto leaped back, throwing his kunai back at the blond. Naruto knocked the projectile out of the way with his own, creating a shower of sparks.

* * *

><p>"It seems as though one of my test subjects survived." Orochimaru said, squaring off against Yamato. "Good to meet my experiment." Yamato scowled, forming another seal. "Wood Style: Binding Tree!" The boards at Orochimaru's feet began to warp as thick tree roots began to sprout. Orochimaru jumped up but the roots snapped at him, grazing his flesh.<p>

"An experiment I should have never finished." The snake-man hissed. He stretched his neck, head flying at Yamato at an alarming speed, fangs bared and ready to close around his throat. Sasuke leaped into the way, Kusanagi drawn. Orochimaru snarled and regurgitated his own Kusanagi to parry, holding the blade with his freakish tongue.

"How good to see you…Sasuke." He stared into the Uchiha's Sharingan. "I'm glad to see you've been keeping your eyes safe for me."

* * *

><p>"Why the fuck are we in this nasty ass bathroom?!" Hidan cursed loudly. Kakuzu sighed. "I don't know why you keep asking." The older shinobi rasped. "I've explained this more times than I can count. This is one of three bounty collection stations in the Land of Fire. The broker here is on my book. He gets a small share of my collection, simply for dealing with me."<p>

"But you never fuckin' give money away." Hidan said, furrowing his brows. "That's right." Kakuzu said. "However, this broker is discreet. It's worth a little bit of money to keep our organization's movements secretive." He motioned to the door.

"If it bothers you so much, you can wait outside. I won't be too long." As he spoke a small, grimy man skulked out of the shadows. "Lord Kakuzu, so nice to see you here again." He bowed lowly.

"Fine. I can't stand the smell of piss. Or the sight of ass-kissing." He pointed accusingly at the broker and stalked up the stairway that led to the toilets. The broker shrugged, leading Kakuzu into the next room.

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><p>"Cha!" Sakura threw a bone-breaking punch at Kabuto but the man deftly dodged. "You're a better kunoichi than I remember, but you aren't at my level." He declared. "What about me?!" Naruto cried out, surprising Kabuto from behind. The shinobi with glasses whirled only to catch Naruto's knee to the face. The blonde's forehead protector breaking Kabuto's nose.<p>

The rogue ninja fell back, vanishing as Sakura threw another punch and reappearing a safe distance behind her. "That actually hurt." He remarked, wiping away some blood. Chakra swirled around his thumb and forefinger as he twisted his nose back in place and healed it.

"It was a mistake to let you live back in Konoha. And you made me regret it in Tanzaku Town. And you're making me regret it here too, Naruto." His hands flared up with chakra. "I'm going to cut you to pieces." Kabuto vowed.

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><p>The teams Tsunade had formed were all in position by this point, except for one. There were many teams scouring the Land of Fire itself, but only three stationed at collection places. Each team took up positions, hiding themselves strategically around the collection places.<p>

The final team, Team Kurenai, was leaping through the trees on their way to the last collection place. Kiba's nose was covered by a thick cloth. A similar cloth was wrapped around Akamaru's muzzle. The dog leaped tree-to-tree with his master.

"It smells like piss!" He complained. "Our sense of smell is useless! That collection place is in a freakin' bathroom!" "Quit complaining." Shino said quietly. Kiba turned to the Aburame, looking angry.

"What was that?!" "Guys," Hinata began. "Y-you shouldn't be f-fighting when we're about to have a b-battle." "Hinata's right." Kurenai said. "If you aren't careful here, Kiba, you'll die." The dog-nin gulped.

"I-I'm seeing something up ahead." Hinata said, Byakugan activated. "T-there's someone emerging from the collection place." "Alright." Kurenai began, coming to a stop. "We need to come up with a plan. Now keep your wits about you when we engage. First, we have to determine if this person is a target. If you aren't calm when the fight begins, you may die. Keep that in mind."

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><p>"You'll never get my eyes!" Sasuke growled. "Lightning Style: Kusanagi!" Sasuke's blade erupted in sparks that travelled through both blades, causing Orochimaru to disengage. The Sannin's tongue sizzled a little as he switched the Kusanagi to his hand.<p>

"I disagree." He said, no longer in such a good mood. "You will become mine. I swear it upon that Curse Mark." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Orochimaru threw himself forward, intending to overwhelm the Uchiha through superior swordsmanship. A dome of wood sprouted from the bridge over Sasuke, making the Sannin retreat a little.

"Sasuke, don't forget that I'm here. I won't let you take on one of the Sannin by yourself." Yamato said. "Keep your guard up!" He brought his hands together in seals. "Water Style: Ripping Torrent!"

Yamato thrust both hands out to the sides, using his chakra to affect the water far below them. He forced it to rise from its place in the river under the bridge and brought it over both sides of the bridge around Orochimaru. The water crashed into the Sannin.

"Now, Sasuke!" The Uchiha threw his Kusanagi, still charged with Lightning chakra, into the water. A massive electrical blast surrounded the Sannin's form. The bridge held.

* * *

><p>Hidan stepped out of the restroom into the bright sunlight. "Ah." He sighed. "Fresh air." He walked across the concrete, heading for some steps. He sat down, placing his scythe beside him. An insect landed on his bare shoulder, ready to bite down before he slapped it.<p>

"Fuckin' bugs." He muttered. The air around the restroom was filled with buzzing black nuisances, which would be understandable if it wasn't for the sheer number. Hidan cocked an eyebrow as all of them seemed to begin flying around him.

Hidan looked around, seeing only bugs all around him but for one exception. Hidan's eyes found a teenager standing across the dirt road that passed the collection place. The teen was rather tall, with a short bush of brown hair. He wore a grey coat open over dark blue clothing. Hidan cocked an eyebrow, staring at the boy's face. He wouldn't have been easily recognizable due to the dark sunglasses that covered his eyes, but Hidan could tell the kid was a ninja.

"So you Konoha shinobi finally found us." The silver-haired man called out. "I've been looking for a reason to fuck shit up!" The young shinobi didn't answer. Instead, he held out his arms, hands pointed at Hidan. The insects immediately swarmed around the immortal in a cyclone of buzzing and biting.

"Great job, Shino." Kurenai muttered. She stood on top of the building the Akatsuki member had exited. She planned on her opponent being too focused on the Kikaichu to notice her presence. She prepared to throw the man into a genjutsu of pain and torture while he was preoccupied, but was unprepared for the man to throw himself at Shino.

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><p>Naruto half turned at the sound of an explosion where Sasuke and Yamato were fighting Orochimaru. Kabuto capitalized, lunging at the blond. "Naruto!" Sakura called. She clapped her hands together in a seal.<p>

"Earth Style: Rolling Earth Wave!" She pounded both fists against the bridge and watched as the wood rippled and rushed at the Sound-nin. Kabuto let the ground roll under him, throwing him into the air at Naruto.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto called, forming one clone. "Let's go!" The clone shelled out chakra for the Rasengan. The spiraling sphere formed and Naruto tried to thrust it into Kabuto's chest as he fell toward him.

Kabuto crossed his arms over his chest. As he got close, Naruto brought the Rasengan up and he lashed out, bringing his hands across Naruto's wrist in an X. Naruto immediately lost all feeling in his hand and the Rasengan fizzled out.

"Sasuke will soon belong to us!" Kabuto exclaimed as he landed. "He will become the perfect body for Orochimaru, and there's nothing you can do to take him from us!" He thrust his Chakra Scalpel into Naruto's chest. "Die!"

* * *

><p>Shino didn't show surprise as he saw the man leap at him, moving incredibly fast for someone carrying such a large weapon. He directed the Kikai to swarm around the Akatsuki again, this time ready for them to begin sapping his power.<p>

"Hidden Jutsu: Beetle Sphere!" The dome of Kikai around the Akatsuki member closed in, forming a skin-tight covering of chakra-eating bugs. The drain was immediate, but Shino could tell it wasn't amounting to much.

_"This man doesn't have much chakra."_ Shino's analytic brain realized something was wrong. _"That's not right for an S-Class shinobi. He should be brimming with chakra, but he isn't. That means his skill lies outside of ninjutsu. There is something about this man that makes him S-Class."_

Shino was about to call the bugs off when they suddenly began dropping to the ground. The Aburame heir furrowed his brows behind his sunglasses, showing his first sign of worry throughout the entire encounter. He was caught off guard as the Akatsuki member rushed through the carcasses of his bugs, ready to cleave the Leaf-nin with his large scythe.

"You're _mine_, fucker!" He shrieked, leaping and bringing the blades down. His eyes widened by a fraction as Hinata jumped in front of her teammate, pushing him to the side and out of immediate danger.

"Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata lashed out with her hands, extending long blades of chakra. She whirled around, ducking and showing impressive flexibility as she used her chakra to form a dome of the interlaced blades. The Akatsuki member hit the chakra screaming as it burned and dug into his skin for an instant before he was repelled, dome sending him flying toward Kiba's hiding place.

"Ready, Akamaru?!" The nin-dog barked loudly. Kiba burst out of the bushes, running toward the Akatsuki member's flying body. "Time for us to mess you up!" He shouted, leaping into the air. He twisted his body and began to rotate at high speed, shooting toward the Akatsuki member.

Kiba brought his attack under the falling enemy and shot past him, sending him flying back into the air. A similar grey blur flew from the bushes, ready to skewer their opponent. "Fang Over—!" Kiba's voice cut out as a black fist crashed into the second blur.

There was a burst of smoke and Akamaru was knocked away from the Akatsuki member, who was free to fall to the ground. "Akamaru!" Kiba cried. He turned to the entrance of the collection place to see that the other member of Akatsuki had emerged.

The tall man was drawing the black fist back to his body where black tendrils reconnected it to his arm. The fist turned brown to match the man's skin tone.

* * *

><p>"Kukuku…" Orochimaru's laugh echoed strangely through the mist that had been thrown up by the combination attack Sasuke and Yamato had utilized. "You've become strong, Sasuke Uchiha, but it doesn't matter. You <em>will<em> belong to me."

Sasuke was using the Sharingan to try and pinpoint the Sannin's location. He failed to see the larger than average snake creeping toward him over the bridge, making absolutely no noise. He cried out as it wrapped around his legs, coiling up his body so quickly that he had no chance to react.

"Now, to dispatch with the…experiment." The Sannin's voice hissed from the snake. The snake brought its head forward with a powerful headbutt, knocking the Uchiha unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Hidan, you fool." The newcomer growled. "You can't go anywhere without getting us into trouble. Kiba was shaking with rage. "You <em>bastard<em>!" He ran at the other Akatsuki, drawing a kunai. He was totally off guard when Hidan stood back up and crossed the distance between them, crashing his fist into the side of Kiba's face.

The dog-nin fell back. Hidan ran a hand over his side, where Kiba's Fang Over Fang grazed him. "That hurt, bitch." He grinned. "Not enough though." He brought his hand up to his mouth, noting a small amount of Kiba's blood on his knuckles.

"Perfect." He said. He raised his scythe and dug the blades into his already injured side, letting his blood drop onto the ground. "Distract them for me, Kakuzu." He said to his partner. The tall man raised an eyebrow, smirking under the cloth covering his mouth.

"Fine." Kakuzu said. Hidan smiled maliciously, using his foot to spread his blood across the ground. "There should be no problem sacrificing these heretics to Lord Jashin."

Kurenai leaped from the roof of the collection place, landing by Kiba. She helped the teen to his feet. "We need to defeat the silver haired one. I don't like what he's doing over there." Kiba nodded weakly. "I've gotta find Akamaru."

Kakuzu laughed, overhearing them. "You have to deal with me." He said. He started to walk down the steps toward Kurenai and Kiba. Bugs started swirling around him, but he ignored them. "Aburame brat." He muttered. Millions of black tendrils erupted from his body, putting holes through his cloak and spearing many of the insects before they could touch him.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" Hinata appeared in front of Kakuzu, lashing out with her palms. Kakuzu's skin turned black as he stood still for a second and took all of Hinata's hits without flinching. He kicked out, sending Hinata flying away from him.

"You have to get to Shino and Hinata and form a plan." Kurenai said, pushing Kiba forward. "I will engage the one called Hidan." She made to rush the cultist. "Not so fast." Kakuzu said, flinging his hand at her. The hand wrapped around her neck. Kakuzu whipped his arm back, dragging Kurenai away from Hidan by the throat.

"Kurenai-Sensei!" Kiba called out as she was whisked away from him. He looked around wildly, seeing Shino helping Hinata to her feet. He looked in the direction Akamaru had been thrown and saw that the Sheppard-sized dog had found his way back.

Then, Kiba looked at Hidan. The silver-haired man had just completed a circle in the dirt road with his blood. There were three lines that formed a triangle in the center of the circle. Hidan stepped into the circle and licked Kiba's blood from his knuckles.

At the same time, Shino and Hinata leaped into action. Shino sent a wave of bugs at the threads connecting Kakuzu's severed hand to his arm, separating the appendage from its master. "Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" Hinata cried, thrusting her hand out in a palm strike. A condensed burst of air instantly blasted into Kakuzu's chest with much more force than any of her strikes.

Kakuzu was sent flying back as Shino's insects swarmed around Kurenai and brought her back to them. She looked alright, besides the blood dripping slowly from the corner of her mouth. She looked at Hidan, who had just taken Kiba's blood into his body.

Hidan had just turned black with white, skeletal markings all over the visible part of his upper body. Kurenai noticed his transformation didn't happen until Kiba's blood had been taken in, and that worried her.

"We've got to get that man out of that circle!" Hidan flicked his right arm, the only one with the sleeve intact, and a black rod slid into his hand. He flicked his hand, causing the rod to extend into a three foot pike with a needle point.

"Of course, Kurenai-Sensei." Shino spoke, extending his hands toward the transformed man. His Kikai swarmed forward, swirling around the man in a black tornado. The bugs bit their mandibles into Hidan and pulled him from the circle, but not before Kiba cried out and fell to the ground.

Hinata ran to her teammate, checking him for wounds. His face and hands were covered with small puncture wounds consistent with Shino's Kikaichu. She looked at the silver-haired member of Akatsuki, who had just been dropped twenty feet from his circle. He had similar bites all over his visible skin and was cackling like a madman.

Hinata heard Shino grunt and heard him crash through the bushes and into a tree. She whirled around and saw Kakuzu where the quiet shinobi had been standing. He held his detached arm and was in the process of using more threads to reattach it. She didn't see Kurenai.

"Hinata…" Kiba muttered. "K-Kiba!" She cried. "A-are you alright?" "You've gotta help Kurenai-Sensei." He pointed at Hidan weakly. Kurenai was standing close to the laughing fool, weaving signs and muttering rapidly under her breath. Slowly Hidan stopped laughing. Stopped moving.

"Genjutsu." Hinata muttered in wonder. She wasn't watching behind her, and was taken aback as Kakuzu ran past her at top speed. His skin was black again and he was ready to put Kurenai out of commission. He got in close before Kurenai could finish her genjutsu and lashed out, knocking her back.

Hidan snapped out of the genjutsu, crawling back to his feet. He began laughing again. "Thanks, Kakuzu! That fuckin' bitch was trying to keep me out of the fight!" Kakuzu scoffed. "You're just lucky I'm around, idiot. If not, Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress would've had you immobile. They would be running tests on you in the Leaf Village."

"Don't be so fuckin' sure." Hidan chuckled. Hinata trembled. These two shinobi were so powerful that they'd broken down most of her team in minutes without any trouble. Kiba sat up, still not in much condition to fight.

"Those…bastards." He looked down as Akamaru padded up and began to lick at his master's wounds. "We've gotta show 'em they can't just walk all over us! You ready, Akamaru?" The white dog barked, drawing the attention of the two Akatsuki.

"What's he think he's gonna be able to do?" Hidan asked. "Hey!" He shouted. "What the fuck do you think you're gonna do?!" Kiba growled. "Akamaru! Let's go!" The dog barked again and ran forward.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill it." Hidan said. He ran forward, ready to bring his scythe down on Akamaru. "Dynamic Marking!" Akamaru leaped up over Hidan and spun around midair, emptying his bladder all over both Akatsuki.

"Fucking hell!" Hidan cried, covering his eyes and nose. "That was fuckin' cheap!" Kiba brought his hands together and began making seals. "Alright, Akamaru! Time for our ultimate attack! Inuzuka Style: Man-Beast Transformation Combo: Two-Headed Wolf!"

Akamaru leaped back as Kiba jumped up. The two met in a cloud of smoke and dust that was quickly blown away by a powerful howl. The smoke cleared revealing a huge white wolf with two heads. Four piercing red eyes focused in on the Akatsuki while two mouths gnashed hundreds of razor sharp teeth together in anticipation. Acidic drool dripped to the ground, throwing up more smoke.

* * *

><p>Some miles away, Asuma Sarutobi was stationed at another collection place with Team 10. He had been looking for the Akatsuki with all his might, searching for the men who killed his friend.<p>

"You've gotta calm down, Asuma-Sensei." Shikamaru said. "You'll need to be as focused as possible to take on S-Class shinobi." Asuma nodded tensely. "You're right, Shikamaru. I just can't help but think that there's something off here." Not a second after he finished speaking did he hear the loud howling of a wolf from far away.

"That wasn't a regular wolf." Shikamaru remarked. "You're right." Asuma's mouth opened in realization, letting his cigarette fall to the ground. "That's coming from the direction of where Kurenai's team is stationed. That's Kiba!" He jumped into the trees and began leaping from branch to branch.

"But what about keeping our post?!" Ino cried out. "Uh-oh. This isn't gonna turn out well, is it Shikamaru?" The pineapple-headed shinobi shook his head, leaping into the trees after his sensei. "This is gonna be a real drag."

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes were blank as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. Kabuto smiled maliciously, not feeling the beat of the blonde's heart. He was surprised when he saw Naruto's eyes focus on him, red and with slit pupils.<p>

"Don't talk about Sasuke like you own him." He rasped. His whisker marks began to thicken and fangs poked out from under his lip. Two clawed hands grabbed hold of Kabuto's arm, preventing him from escaping.

"_I'll kill you before I let you take him_!" Naruto jerked his hands, breaking Kabuto's arm instantly. The bespectacled shinobi cried out as Naruto threw him backward. He flew toward Sakura at high speed, and knew the girl wouldn't hesitate to smash his skull with that enhanced strength of hers.

Imagine Kabuto's surprise when she just let him fly past her, staring with horror at her teammate. _"She's not used to seeing the transformation."_ The Sound-nin realized. He landed hard but was already in the process of healing his arm. He stood a second later, fit to fight.

"See, Naruto? You aren't strong enough to kill me." Kabuto taunted, showing off his now unbroken arm. "Sasuke _will_ belong to Orochimaru." Naruto began shaking with rage. Sakura moved toward him.

"Naruto, you've got to calm down!" She said, reaching out. She was close enough now to see that his eyes were glowing red now as orange chakra began manifesting itself around him. One tail whipped around behind him.

* * *

><p>"Hinata…" Kiba's voice growled in tandem from each head. "Get Kurenai-Sensei and get to Shino. <em>Hide<em>." Hinata nodded, rushing toward her sensei. "Don't let them fuckin' get away!" Hidan commanded, ready to fight with the wolf.

"Don't be stupid, Hidan. I can get a nice bounty for Miss Kurenai Yuhi." Kakuzu ran at Hinata, intending to finish her off and take Kurenai. "I don't give a _fuck_ about that!" Hidan looked at the wolf. "But I'll take dog-breath."

"Fine!" Kiba screamed. "Let's do it!" The wolf jumped up and began to spin. "Think you can get away?! Wolf Fang Over Fang!" The Two-Headed Wolf was lost in a spinning vortex that sucked the very air in toward it.

"C'mon then, fucker!" Hidan taunted. Kiba and Akamaru shot toward the silver-haired cultist, intending to rip him apart. Hidan grinned, diving toward his blood circle. Kiba and Akamaru veered to the left, going after Kakuzu.

"…Fuck." Hidan cursed. Hinata had just made it to Kurenai and was about to help her get out of the way when she saw Kakuzu running up fast. She got ready to defend herself, but suddenly she was in the bushes with Shino. The bug-nin was back on his feet after Kakuzu's assault, but looked weak.

"What happened?" Hinata asked, all trace of stutter gone in her surprise. Kurenai was panting beside her. "Substitution." Hinata looked out at the battlefield. Kakuzu had his tendrils pierced through two logs and Kiba was closing on him fast. She looked at Hidan, who was in his circle and ready to pierce his own heart with his scythe.

"No!" She shouted. Kurenai's eyes snapped to the cultist. _"He's going to kill him."_ She thought back to before, when Shino had used his bugs to get Hidan out of his circle. The bug bites had been inflicted on Kiba too. Surely that was his ability. Any damage dealt to him would be inflicted on his opponent.

"_But how did it only affect Kiba?"_ Realizing she didn't have time to waste, she pumped her legs with a significant amount of chakra and leaped forward. She was able to run far faster than normally, but she wouldn't be able to use much more genjutsu with the amount of chakra she was using up.

She threw herself at Hidan just as he was bringing his scythe down and knocked the cultist out of the circle as he pierced his flesh with the blades. She was laying in the middle of the bloody circle._ "No!"_ Kurenai thought. _"I'm too late!"_

She threw a glance at Kiba, who was still chasing after Kakuzu. The missing-nin was somehow dodging the Wolf Fang, but Kiba didn't seem to be injured. _"He has to be in the circle."_ She realized with wonder.

"Hey!" Hidan shouted at her. He looked truly terrified for the first time in a battle where he'd be practically _playing_ with Kurenai's team. Kurenai noticed all this automatically and was able to process it almost instantly.

"_He must be standing in the circle to affect someone with that curse. But he could only affect Kiba. Why is that?" _She thought back over the course of the fight. She remembered something strange Hidan had done when he completed the circle. When he stood inside it, he licked Kiba's blood from his knuckles. Only _then_ did he transform!

"_It's a blood curse."_ She guessed. _"But that doesn't explain why he's so afraid of me in this circle. He hasn't taken any real damage from the attacks that have been used on him. He just stabbed himself with all three of his scythe's blades, and isn't even in pain. Is he immortal? If so, I can't hurt him."_

She came to a decision, pulling out a kunai. "What are you doing?!" Hidan cried out. "Stop!" It confirmed her suspicions. She plunged the kunai into her stomach. "_Fuck_!" Hidan screamed, falling forward with a huge gash in his gut. He landed on his scythe, driving it deeper into his chest.

"I…I did it…" Kurenai stuttered, falling to the ground. Kakuzu whirled around, seeing Hidan's body and Kurenai in his circle. "Damn. They figured out the next part of Hidan's curse." He muttered to himself, still dodging Kiba's attacks.

He saw another squad of Konoha shinobi drop down out of the trees, surely coming to investigate. One was Asuma Sarutobi, who he knew was worth a lot of money. But he couldn't take the chance of fighting all of them when Hidan was out of commission.

He vanished, causing Kiba to stop spinning, and reappeared beside Hidan's body. He grabbed the foul-mouthed cultist, scythe and all, and vanished again.

* * *

><p><strong>There we go. I think I'll end it there. I know you guys probably hate me for the lack of updates the last few months, but I've just been so busy with my life. I'm NOT giving up on any of my stories, so if you're fans of any of my other works know that they WILL continue. Now, since this little 'arc' is a combination of two of the animemanga arcs, I had to include scenes from both sides in this chapter; the Tenchi Bridge part of the arc and the Zombie Brothers part of the arc. The next chapter however, will be the rest of the Tenchi Bridge part of the arc. The chapter after will be the rest of the Zombie Brothers part up until Naruto's group gets back to the Village to find out what happened. That's where the two parts become one. I also changed Hidan's powers a little from the anime/manga. I thought it would be an interesting little twist. However, you can't expect to have seen the last of the foul-mouthed cultist, can you? The arc isn't half over yet. Ja Nae.**


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